Special Features

Caribbean Gale Warning: A strong ridge north of the area will continue to support fresh to strong trade winds across the south- central Caribbean. Winds will pulse to gale-force each night offshore of Colombia through the remainder of the week. Peak seas with these winds are expected to be at or near 12 ft.

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

Monsoon Trough/ITCZ

The monsoon trough enters the Atlantic near 06N10W and continues southwestward to 04N13W. The ITCZ extends from 03N13W, and continues to 01S44W. Scattered moderate convection is evident from 00N to 05N between 15W and 27W and between 33W and 42W.

Gulf Of Mexico

A 1023 mb high pressure is centered south of Pensacola, Florida near 29N86W. A weak trough is over the Yucatan Peninsula. This pattern is supporting moderate to fresh NE to E winds from the Straits of Florida to the northern Yucatan Peninsula, with 3 to 4 ft. Elsewhere, light to gentle winds prevail, with seas 1 to 3 ft.

For the forecast, high pressure will dominate the basin through the forecast period, supporting gentle to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas. Moderate to fresh NE to E winds are forecast at night north of the Yucatan Peninsula and in the Bay of Campeche as a surface trough develops over the Peninsula and moves westward towards Tampico and Veracruz diurnally.

Caribbean Sea

A broad subtropical ridge north of the area is supporting fresh to strong trade winds across mainly the south-central Caribbean, and fresh to strong NE winds the central part of the basin and the Windward Passage. Moderate to fresh NE to E winds prevail elsewhere. Combined seas are 7 to 10 ft over the southwest Caribbean, and 5 to 7 ft elsewhere. A few fast moving showers are embedded in the trade wind flow over the western Caribbean, but otherwise no significant showers or thunderstorms are noted at this time across the Caribbean.

For the forecast, Gale force winds will pulse each night over the SW Caribbean through Sun night. Fresh to strong NE to E winds will also continue through the weekend in the central and southwest Caribbean, through the Windward Passage, in the Gulf of Venezuela, and downwind of Hispaniola and Cuba. East swell will support moderate to locally rough seas near the Lesser Antilles as well as the Atlantic passages into the Caribbean through tonight. Otherwise, large E swell will resume across the Leeward Islands offshore zones Thu into the weekend.

Atlantic Ocean

A ridge is supporting mostly gentle breezes and 4 to 6 ft west of 55W, except for moderate winds and seas to 7 ft south of 22N. Farther east, a surface trough extends over the central Atlantic from 31N46W to 22N58W, and 1031 mb high pressure is centered near 34N23W. Fresh to strong trade winds and 8 to 11 ft seas are noted south of the high pressure from 11N to 23N, east of 35W and near the Canary Islands. Elsewhere, this pattern is supporting moderate to fresh trade winds and 6 to 8 ft across the basin.

For the forecast west of 55W, surface ridging will support generally moderate or weaker winds across the offshore waters for the next several days, except for fresh to strong NE winds across the approach to the Windward Passage. Otherwise, rough seas in E swell should develop across the offshore waters east of 70W and south of 24N late Thu through the weekend.

Posted 2 hours ago by NHC Forecaster Krv