Special Features

Gulf of America Gale Warning: A strong cold front is currently moving across the Gulf waters followed by strong to gale force winds and building seas. The front extends from Pensacola, FL southwestward to 26N92W, to a weak low pressure of 1012 mb near 21N96W and to inland Mexico just N of Veracruz. The gale conditions are forecast to continue offshore Tampico until Mon morning and offshore Veracruz through late Mon night. The cold front will sweep across the rest of the basin through Mon evening. Seas are expected to quickly build across the Gulf region through Mon reaching 16 or 17 ft. Conditions will improve quickly from NW to SE Tue through Wed as the front moves southeastward into the NW Caribbean and high pressure settles across the northern Gulf. Mariners are advised to keep up with the latest forecasts.

Please read the latest High Seas Forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center at website: https: //nhc. noaa. gov/text/MIAHSFAT2. shtml for more details.

Monsoon Trough Itcz

The monsoon trough remains inland over Africa. The ITCZ extends from the coast of Liberia near 05N10W to the coast of NE Brazil near 02. 5N51W. Scattered moderate convection, enhanced by a diffluent pattern aloft, is noted from 01N to 08N between 40W and 51W.

GULF OF AMERICA,

As previously mentioned, a strong cold front is moving across the Gulf waters followed by strong to gale force winds and building seas. The cold front extends from Pensacola, FL southwestward to 26N92W, to a weak low pressure of 1012 mb near 21N96W and to inland Mexico just N of Veracruz. A Gale Warning is in effect for the waters offshore Tampico, and also for the waters offshore Veracruz. The most recent scatterometer pass indicate strong to minimal gale force winds in the wake of the front, with seas of 6 to 9 ft while mainly fresh to locally strong southerly winds are ahead of the front, with seas of 5 to 8 ft N of 25N and 3 to 5 ft S of 25N based on altimeter data. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, some possibly strong, are ahead of the front N of 28N.

For the forecast, the cold front will sweep across the rest of the basin through Mon evening. Please, see the Special Features section for more details.

CARIBBEAN SEA,

The most recent satellite derived wind data indicate moderate to locally fresh trades across most of the basin, with seas of 3 to 5 ft, except 5 to 8 ft near the coast of Colombia where fresh to strong winds are noted. Broad high pressure over the eastern Atlantic extends a ridge westward across the Greater Antilles and South Florida. Patches of low level moisture, embedded in the trade wind flow, are moving across the area producing isolated to scattered passing showers. Seas of 6 to 8 ft are observed across the Atlantic passages of the Lesser Antilles due to large E swell.

For the forecast, broad high pressure over the eastern Atlantic will maintain a ridge westward into the central Atlantic supporting mostly fresh trades over the eastern and central Caribbean as well as the Tropical N Atlantic waters through Tue, while fresh winds offshore of Colombia pulse to strong at night. Large E swell over the Tropical N Atlantic will slowly subside this week, with seas lingering to 8 ft through early Wed. A cold front will enter the NW Caribbean late Mon and begin to stall from eastern Cuba to northern Honduras by late Tue into Wed, weakening to a shearline Thu. Strong northerly winds will follow the front before briefly diminishing to mostly fresh on Wed, and increasing to fresh to strong Wed night and Thu as stronger high pressure builds southward across the N Gulf of America. These winds will diminish on Fri.

ATLANTIC OCEAN,

Broad high pressure over the eastern Atlantic extends a ridge westward across the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas and South Florida. A cold front runs from 31N45W to 29N56W where it transitions to a stationary front to near 30N67W. Under this weather pattern, fresh to strong southerly winds and rough seas are over the NW waters, offshore N and central Florida. Fresh to strong NE winds and seas of 8 to 9 ft are in the wake of the front. A large area of fresh to strong NE to E winds is noted from 12N to 24N E of 30W, including the Cabo Verde Islands. Rough to very rough seas are within these winds. Moderate to fresh trades dominate the remainder of the tropical Atlantic, with seas of 7 to 10 ft based on several altimeter passes. Moderate or weaker winds and moderate seas prevail elsewhere, except E of 30W where mainly rough to very rough seas in long period NW swell are seen. A band of multilayer clouds associated with very strong winds aloft persist across the tropical Atlantic, extending from NE South America all the way to W Africa.

For the forecast west of 55W, fresh to strong S to SW winds over the NW forecast waters will continue through early Mon in advance of a strong cold front that is expected to move offshore northeast Florida on Mon morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms may accompany the front. The front will reach from near 31N72W to the NW Bahamas and to west Cuba Mon evening, from near 31N56W to the SE Bahamas and to eastern Cuba Tue evening, then begin to become stationary and weaken as it reaches from near 31N50W to the SE Bahamas and to eastern Cuba Wed evening. Fresh to strong northwest to north winds and rough seas are expected W of the front Mon afternoon through Tue afternoon. The frontal boundary will begin to dissipate on Thu as another strong cold front moves out across the western forecast waters, reaching from near 31N59W to Hispaniola by Thu evening then stall over the eastern portion Fri S of 26N.

Posted 29 minutes ago by NHC Forecaster GR