687  
AXNT20 KNHC 172217  
TWDAT  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
0005 UTC THU APR 18 2024  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA  
GULF OF MEXICO, CARIBBEAN SEA, NORTHERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH  
AMERICA, AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE  
EQUATOR TO 31N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE  
IMAGERY, WEATHER OBSERVATIONS, RADAR AND METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS.  
 
BASED ON 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH  
2030 UTC.  
   
..MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH EXTENDS W FROM GUINEA-BISSAU ABOUT 60 NM INTO  
THE ATLANTIC. THE ITCZ EXTENDS FROM 03N20W TO 01N35W TO 02N50W.  
SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS NOTED FROM 00N  
TO 09N BETWEEN 10W AND 20W.  
   
..GULF OF MEXICO
 
 
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE CENTERED N OF  
THE BAHAMAS AND LOWER PRESSURES IN MEXICO RESULT IN FRESH TO  
LOCALLY STRONG EASTERLY WINDS OFFSHORE THE N COASTS OF CUBA AND  
THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. SEAS IN THESE WATERS ARE 4-7 FT.  
ELSEWHERE, MODERATE WINDS AND SEAS PREVAIL, EXCEPT FOR GENTLE  
WINDS AND SEAS WITHIN 120 NM OF THE FLORIDA COAST. NO SIGNIFICANT  
CONVECTION IS OCCURRING.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN LOW PRESSURE OVER  
MEXICO AND SURFACE RIDGING EXTENDING FROM THE SW N ATLANTIC  
WATERS WILL SUSTAIN MODERATE TO FRESH SE WINDS BASIN-WIDE THROUGH  
SUN MORNING, EXCEPT FOR STRONG WINDS ENE WINDS PULSING OFF THE NW  
YUCATAN PENINSULA AND SOUTH-CENTRAL GULF AT NIGHT. A COLD FRONT IS  
FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE NW GULF SUN AFTERNOON, REACH FROM TAMPA  
BAY TO 25N90W TO SW TO 22N95W MON MORNING AND EXIT THE BASIN MON  
EVENING. MODERATE TO FRESH NE WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT, BRIEFLY  
REACHING STRONG SPEEDS OVER THE NE MEXICO OFFSHORE WATERS SUN  
EVENING.  
 
   
..CARIBBEAN SEA
 
 
THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE CENTERED NORTH OF THE BAHAMAS CONTINUES TO  
FORCE FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG NE-E WINDS IN THE LEE OF CUBA AND  
THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. SEAS IN THESE WATERS ARE 4-7 FT. MODERATE TO  
LOCALLY FRESH EASTERLY BREEZES AND MODERATE SEAS ARE EVIDENT IN  
THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN. NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION IS PRESENT.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, HIGH PRESSURE AND ASSOCIATED RIDGING WILL SHIFT  
E OF THE SW N ATLANTIC WATERS ON SUN. THIS FEATURE WILL SUPPORT  
MODERATE TO FRESH EASTERLY TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN, EXCEPT  
FOR THE SW AND NE CARIBBEAN WHERE WINDS WILL BE GENTLE TO LOCALLY  
MODERATE. FRESH WINDS IN THE WINDWARD PASSAGE ARE FORECAST TO  
REACH STRONG SPEEDS DURING THE EVENINGS TODAY THROUGH FRI. WINDS  
IN THE NW AND SW CARIBBEAN WILL DIMINISH TO GENTLE TO MODERATE  
SPEEDS ON MON AS A FRONT ENTERS THE SW N ATLANTIC WATERS, THUS  
DIMINISHING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT.  
   
..ATLANTIC OCEAN
 
 
A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM 29N58W TO 22N62W AND IS PRODUCING  
SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION FROM 21N TO 25N BETWEEN 55W AND 61W.  
 
THE REMAINDER OF THE WESTERN ATLANTIC, WEST OF 55W, IS UNDER THE  
INFLUENCE OF A 1023 MB HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED N OF THE  
BAHAMAS. THIS SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IS FORCING MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS  
AND SEAS OF 5 TO 7 FT WEST OF THE TROUGH TO THE FLORIDA STRAITS  
FROM 20N TO 25N.  
 
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ATLANTIC IS DOMINATED BY A BROAD  
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE 1023 MB HIGH  
PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR 30N45W AND LOWER PRESSURES IN THE DEEP  
TROPICS RESULTS IN MODERATE TO FRESH EASTERLY TRADE WINDS SOUTH  
OF 20N. WAVE HEIGHTS IN THE AREA DESCRIBED ARE 7-10 FT, WITH THE  
HIGHEST SEAS NEAR 11N49W. ELSEWHERE, MODERATE OR WEAKER WINDS AND  
MODERATE SEAS PREVAIL.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST W OF 55W, HIGH PRESSURE AND ASSOCIATED RIDGING WILL PREVAIL  
OVER THE SW N ATLANTIC WATERS ENE OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH SUN. THE  
PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN A SURFACE TROUGH ANALYZED NE OF THE  
LEEWARD ISLANDS AND THE RIDGE IS SUPPORTING MODERATE TO FRESH NE  
TO E WINDS E OF THE BAHAMAS, THE GREAT BAHAMA BANK AND THE  
APPROACHES OF THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. THE TROUGH AND POSSIBLE  
DEVELOPING LOW WILL MOVE E OF THE AREA THU MORNING AND WINDS OVER  
THIS REGION WILL DIMINISH TO MODERATE SPEEDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS  
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO FORECAST OVER THE  
AFOREMENTIONED REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTHERLY  
WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE FLORIDA OFFSHORE WATERS N OF FREEPORT  
ON SUN AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT FORECAST TO MOVE OFF NE FLORIDA SUN  
EVENING. THESE WINDS WILL REACH STRONG SPEEDS SUN NIGHT AND  
DIMINISH TO MODERATE TO FRESH SPEEDS MON.  
 

 
KONARIK  
 
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