Special Features

Gale Warning East of 35W: Meteo-France has issued a GALE WARNING for the Canarias Offshore Zone. N to NE winds to Force 8 will continue between the Canary Islands through at least 27/1200 UTC. Seas currently range from 12-14 ft, and will build to 12-15 ft through the warning period. For more information, please see the latest HIGH SEAS FORECAST issued by Meteo-France at website: https://wwmiws.wmo.int/index.php/metareas/affiches/2

Central and Eastern Atlantic Significant Swell Event: Seas remain 8-11 ft across all central and eastern Atlantic waters east of 60W, in mixed NW and NE swell. Over the next couple of days, seas will build to 12-15 ft across the eastern Atlantic, mainly east of 45W, as new NW swell propagates from the GALE WARNING near the Canary Islands. Widespread fresh to strong trade winds, with surges to near-gale force, will sustain 8-11 ft seas elsewhere, as strong subtropical high pressure maintains a tight pressure gradient across the tropical Atlantic Ocean.

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 more information.

Monsoon Trough/ITCZ

The monsoon trough remains inland over Africa. The ITCZ extends from the coast of Sierra Leone near 08N13W and continues to the coast of Brazil near 03S42W. Scattered moderate convection is within 120 nm north of the ITCZ.

Gulf Of America

A ridge axis extending from the subtropical Atlantic high pressure extends across the Gulf waters, and provides for moderate to locally fresh SE to S winds across the basin. Seas are 4-7 ft across the basin, with highest seas in the NW Gulf where fetch is maximized under this wind pattern.

For the forecast, moderate to fresh southerly return flow across the NW, central and SW portions of the Gulf will gradually diminish into this evening ahead of the next cold front forecast to enter the NW Gulf early Fri. This cold front is expected to sink slowly southward across the north half of the Gulf Fri through Sat night and gradually dissipate. High pressure N of the Gulf will build back across the basin Sun and Mon.

Caribbean Sea

The influence of the strong subtropical ridge centered in the Atlantic Ocean currently supports pusling strong trades in the south-central Caribbean off the coast of Colombia, with 8-9 ft seas. Fresh trades prevail elsewhere across the central Caribbean, with moderate to fresh trades in remaining waters. Seas are 4-7 ft. Seas are locally higher, to 8-9 ft, within Atlantic Passage between the Lesser Antilles and the Mona Passage, due to arriving swell from the tropical Atlantic.

For the forecast, the subtropical high will shift NE across the Atlantic through early Sat and maintain a broad ridge across the central and western Atlantic, bringing a return to fresh to strong trades across the central Caribbean. Meanwhile, rough seas in mixed swell will prevail in the Tropical N Atlantic through early next week.

Atlantic Ocean

Please see the SPECIAL FEATURES section for information about a GALE WARNING EAST OF 35W and a SIGNIFICANT SWELL EVENT in the central and eastern Atlantic.

The previously analyzed stationary front has dissipated in the W Atlantic, though some scattered showers remain near the central Bahamas. Outside of the area described in the SIGNIFICANT SWELL EVENT which includes all of the central and eastern Atlantic, trades are moderate or weaker and seas are generally 4-7 ft. These conditions prevail across the western Atlantic.

For the forecast west of 55W, swell across the most of the eastern offshore zones will gradually subside through Thu night, with seas over the SE waters expected to continue at 8 ft and higher in easterly trade wind swell through the end of the period. A weak front will shift off the SE U.S. Coast early Sat and move slowly southeastward and weaken across the waters W of 65W through Sun night before dissipating.

Posted 1 hour, 5 minutes ago by NHC Forecaster Mahoney