660  
AXNT20 KNHC 220004  
TWDAT  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
804 PM EDT FRI SEP 21 2018  
 
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 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE  
IMAGERY, WEATHER OBSERVATIONS, RADAR AND METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS.  
 
BASED ON 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH  
2345 UTC.  
   
..SPECIAL FEATURES
 
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 360 NM SSE OF THE CABO VERDE  
ISLANDS ARE SHOWING SOME SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION. THIS ACTIVITY IS  
ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE, ANALYZED ALONG 18W FROM 03N-16N.  
A RECENT SCATTEROMETER PASS SHOWS A PARTIALLY CLOSED LOW-LEVEL  
CIRCULATION NEAR 07N18W WITH WINDS OF 25-30 KT IN THE EASTERN  
SEMICIRCLE. VISIBLE AND IR SATELLITE IMAGES DEPICT A CLUSTER OF  
CONVECTION WITH A BANDING PATTERN FROM 04N-10N, BETWEEN 16W-25W,  
WHERE SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS NOTED. THE ENVIRONMENT IS  
FORECAST TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR SLOW DEVELOPMENT, AND A TROPICAL  
DEPRESSION COULD FORM EARLY NEXT WEEK WHILE THE SYSTEM MOVES WEST  
AROUND 15 KT ACROSS THE LOW LATITUDES OF THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL  
TROPICAL ATLANTIC OCEAN. THE SYSTEM HAS NOW A MEDIUM CHANCE OF  
TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.  
 
A CENTRAL ATLANTIC TROPICAL WAVE HAS ITS AXIS ALONG 52W BETWEEN  
07N-17N MOVING WNW AT 08 KT. THE WAVE RUNS THROUGH A 1008 MB LOW  
NEAR 13N52W. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH A  
THESE FEATURES HAS BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED OVER THE PAST FEW  
HOURS, AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION COULD FORM LATER TONIGHT OR  
SATURDAY. STRONG UPPER-LEVEL WINDS AND DRY AIR ARE LIKELY TO  
PREVENT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM BY LATE THIS WEEKEND  
WHILE IT MOVES WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD AT AROUND 10  
MPH. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK UNDER  
AWIPS/WMO HEADERS MIATWOAT/ABNT20 KNHC FOR MORE INFORMATION.  
   
..TROPICAL WAVES
 
 
THE TROPICAL WAVE HAS ITS AXIS ALONG 37W BEEN RELOCATED TO 36W  
FROM 04N-16N AND IS MOVING WEST AT 10-15 KT. THE WAVE CORRESPONDS  
NICELY WITH A MAXIMUM IN TPW IMAGERY. MODEL ANALYSES DEPICT AN  
ASSOCIATED 700 MB TROUGH ALONG 39W, OR JUST AHEAD OF THE WAVE  
AXIS. ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE NOTED WITHIN 120 NM OF THE WAVE AXIS  
FROM 09N-13N. LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED WITH THIS WAVE OVER THE  
NEXT 24-48 HOURS.  
 
A CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA TROPICAL WAVE HAS ITS AXIS ALONG 80W.  
MOVEMENT IS ESTIMATED TO BE WESTWARD AROUND 10-15 KT. SCATTERED  
SHOWERS ARE NOTED WEST OF JAMAICA NORTH OF 15N BETWEEN 78W-82W. A  
MAXIMUM IN TPW IS NOTED JUST EAST OF THE WAVE AXIS.  
   
..MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH AXIS EXTENDS FROM THE COAST OF GUINEA NEAR  
10N14W TO 07N18W TO 07N27W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 07N27W TO  
08N40W TO 10N56W TO NE VENEZUELA. OTHER THAN CONVECTION  
ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROPICAL WAVES, ISOLATED WEAK TO MODERATE  
CONVECTION IS LOCATED WITHIN 60 NM SOUTH AND 150 NM NORTH OF THE  
ITCZ BETWEEN 40W-47W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS ALSO NOTED  
OVER NE VENEZUELA AS WELL AS TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO.  
   
..DISCUSSION
 
 
GULF OF MEXICO...  
 
AN UPPER-LEVEL CYCLONIC CIRCULATION IS MOVING SLOWLY WESTWARD  
OVER THE FAR EASTERN GULF AND THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA. SATELLITE  
IMAGERY AND NWS DOPPLER RADAR INDICATE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN GULF, MAINLY FROM 24N-29N, BETWEEN  
81W-87W, INCLUDING PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AND THE FLORIDA  
PENINSULA.  
 
A RIDGE EXTENDS FROM A HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN U.S. TO THE  
NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. THE RIDGE WILL SUPPORT GENTLE TO MODERATE  
EASTERLY WINDS AND SEAS 3 FT OR LESS ACROSS MOST OF THE GULF OF  
MEXICO THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A  
TYPICAL NOCTURNAL SURFACE TROUGH, THAT WILL BE MOVING WESTWARD  
ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE GULF OF MEXICO, MAY PRODUCE  
LOCALLY FRESH WINDS THROUGH SAT.  
 
CARIBBEAN SEA...  
 
A TROPICAL WAVE IS MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA. PLEASE  
SEE THE TROPICAL WAVES SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS.  
 
THE EASTERN PACIFIC MONSOON TROUGH COMBINED WITH DIFFLUENCE ALOFT  
IS HELPING TO INDUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER  
PORTIONS OF COSTA RICA, NICARAGUA AND EASTERN HONDURAS. PLENTY OF  
MOISTURE WILL PERSIST OVER THE SOUTHWEST CARIBBEAN THROUGH  
SATURDAY AS THE TROPICAL WAVE, CURRENTLY ALONG 80W, REACHES THE  
AREA AND MOVES INLAND INTO CENTRAL AMERICA LATE SAT OR EARLY SUN.  
 
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN CENTRAL ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE AND  
THE LOWER PRESSURE NEAR THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN TROPICAL WAVE WILL  
SUPPORT FRESH TRADES TODAY. WINDS WILL DIMINISH OVER MOST OF THE  
CARIBBEAN SEA THIS WEEKEND.  
 
ATLANTIC OCEAN...  
 
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE THREE TROPICAL WAVES BETWEEN THE WEST COAST  
OF AFRICA AND THE LESSER ANTILLES. PLEASE SEE THE SPECIAL  
FEATURES/TROPICAL WAVES SECTIONS FOR MORE DETAILS.  
 
A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM A 1011 MB LOW JUST SE OF BERMUDA AND  
ENTERS THE FORECAST AREA NEAR 31N63W AND EXTENDS WESTWARD TO  
28N70W TO 27N75W. ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE NOTED ALONG THE FRONTAL  
BOUNDARY. THE FRONT WILL DRIFT SLIGHTLY SOUTHWARD TODAY, THEN  
DISSIPATE BY SATURDAY MORNING. THE LOW IS CURRENTLY PRODUCING  
MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS NORTH OF 28N BETWEEN 60W-65W. THE LOW IS  
EXPECTED TO DRIFT SOUTH AND THEN WEST OVER THE FORECAST AREA  
BETWEEN 60W-70W WHILE WEAKENING.  
 
THE REMAINDER OF THE ATLANTIC FORECAST AREA IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE  
OF A RIDGE, ANCHORED BY A 1022 MB SURFACE HIGH LOCATED NEAR  
37N17W.  
 
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT  
HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE  
 

 
AGUIRRE/ERA  
 
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