658  
AXPZ20 KNHC 180757  
TWDEP  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
1005 UTC TUE AUG 18 2026  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM  
03.4S TO 30N, EAST OF 120W INCLUDING THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA, AND  
FROM THE EQUATOR TO 30N, BETWEEN 120W AND 140W. THE FOLLOWING  
INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY, WEATHER OBSERVATIONS,  
RADAR, AND METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS.  
 
BASED ON 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH  
0730 UTC.  
   
..SPECIAL FEATURES
 
 
GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC GALE WARNING: A VERY TIGHT LOCAL PRESSURE  
GRADIENT IS PRESENT OVER THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC AREA IN THE  
WAKE OF A DEPARTING TROPICAL WAVE WITH A TIGHT RIDGE OF HIGH  
PRESSURE NOSING DOWN EASTERN TO SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO, AS WELL AS A  
SURFACE TROUGH TO THE NORTHEAST OVER THE WESTERN YUCATAN  
PENINSULA. THIS PRESSURE IS LIKELY SUPPORTING MINIMAL GALE-FORCE  
NORTHERLY GAP WINDS IN THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC, WITH SEAS OF 7  
TO 11 FT. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DIMINISH BELOW GALE-FORCE TO  
LATER THIS MORNING. PLEASE, REFER TO THE LATEST NWS HIGH SEAS  
FORECAST AVAILABLE AT WEBSITE:  
HTTPS://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TEXT/MIAHSFEP2.SHTML FOR MORE DETAILS.  
   
..TROPICAL WAVES
 
 
THE AXIS OF A TROPICAL WAVE IS NEAR 80W FROM 03N OFFSHORE OF THE  
BORDER OF ECUADOR AND COLOMBIA NORTHWARD TO ACROSS THE GULF OF  
PANAMA AND PANAMA AND INTO THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA, MOVING  
WESTWARD AT AROUND 20 KT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS MODERATE AND  
ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS NOTED FROM 01N TO 11N BETWEEN 77W  
AND 91W.  
 
THE AXIS OF A TROPICAL WAVE IS NEAR 100W FROM JUST SOUTH AND  
OFFSHORE GUERRERO, MEXICO SOUTHWARD TO NEAR THE EQUATOR, MOVING  
SLOWLY WESTWARD AT AROUND 20 KT. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED  
STRONG CONVECTION IS NOTED FROM 05N TO 10N BETWEEN 95W AND 100W.  
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO FORM SEVERAL HUNDRED  
NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF THE COAST OF SOUTHERN MEXICO AROUND THE  
END OF THE WEEK. GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS LIKELY  
THEREAFTER, AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO FORM THIS  
WEEKEND WHILE THE SYSTEM MOVES WEST-NORTHWESTWARD, REMAINING WELL  
OFFSHORE OF MEXICO.  
 
THE AXIS OF A TROPICAL WAVE IS NEAR 127W FROM 17N SOUTHWARD TO  
NEAR THE EQUATOR, MOVING WESTWARD AT AROUND 10 KT. SCATTERED  
MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS NOTED FROM 06N TO 14N  
BETWEEN 112W AND 140W. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS APPEAR CONDUCIVE  
FOR GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM, AND A TROPICAL DEPRESSION  
COULD FORM TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK OR OVER THE WEEKEND WHILE THE  
SYSTEM MOVES GENERALLY WESTWARD ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE  
EAST PACIFIC AND INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC.  
   
..INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH EXTENDS FROM THE SW CARIBBEAN SEA TO ACROSS  
COSTA RICA, ENTERING THE PACIFIC AT THE COAST NEAR 09.5N84W TO  
07N110W. THE ITCZ EXTENDS FROM 07N110W TO 08.5N125W, THEN  
RESUMES WEST OF A TROPICAL WAVE FROM 09N131W TO BEYOND 09N140W.  
OTHER THAN THE CONVECTION DESCRIBED ABOVE WITH THREE TROPICAL  
WAVES, SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG IS NOTED FROM 00N TO  
06N BETWEEN 131W AND 140W.  
   
..OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO
 
 
PLEASE REFER TO THE SPECIAL FEATURES SECTION ABOVE FOR DETAILS  
ON A GALE WARNING IN EFFECT IN THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC UNTIL  
AROUND SUNRISE THIS MORNING.  
 
PLEASE REFER TO THE TROPICAL WAVES SECTION ABOVE FOR INFORMATION  
ON A TROPICAL WAVE THAT HAS A POTENTIAL FOR TROPICAL DEVELOPMENT  
OFFSHORE MEXICO THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND.  
 
MODERATE TO FRESH NW-N WINDS ARE FOUND OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA  
FROM PUNTA EUGENIA NORTHWARD, LOCALLY STRONG NEAR SAN FERNANDO TO  
PUNTA SAN CARLOS PER RECENT ASCAT DATA. FRESH TO STRONG E TO SE  
WINDS ARE SURGING UP THE ALONG THE SOUTHERN TO CENTRAL GULF OF  
CALIFORNIA WHERE A STRONG THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS PRESENT.  
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOTED FROM 21N TO 28N  
BETWEEN MAINLAND MEXICO AND BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR. SEAS ARE 4 TO  
6 FT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE OFFSHORE WATERS, EXCEPT 1 TO 3  
FT IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE  
OVER THE GULF OF AMERICA AND RELATIVELY LOWER PRESSURE SOUTH OF  
MEXICO WILL CONTINUE TO INDUCE PULSES OF STRONG NORTH WINDS OVER  
THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC THROUGH WED NIGHT, TO MINIMAL GALE-FORCE  
THROUGH THIS EARLY MORNING, WITH MODERATE TO FRESH PULSES THEN  
STARTING THU. SEAS WILL OCCASIONALLY BUILD TO ROUGH WITH THE  
FRESH TO STRONG OR STRONGER WINDS. A SURGE OF STRONG SE WINDS  
WILL MOVE FROM THE SOUTHERN TO CENTRAL GULF OF CALIFORNIA  
INTO EARLY TODAY, ASSOCIATED WITH A COMPLEX OF CONVECTION. FRESH  
TO STRONG SE WINDS MAY PULSE IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA  
TONIGHT. WINDS AND SEAS MAY BUILD ACROSS THE OUTER OFFSHORE  
WATERS OF SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO BY THE END OF THE WEEK INTO THE  
UPCOMING WEEKEND IN ASSOCIATION WITH A POSSIBLY DEVELOPING AREA  
OF LOW PRESSURE BEYOND THE OFFSHORE WATERS.  
 
...OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA,  
AND WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR...  
 
SEE TROPICAL WAVES SECTION ABOVE FOR INFORMATION ON A TROPICAL  
WAVE PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF COLOMBIA, PANAMA  
AND AREAS NORTHWESTWARD, WITH HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS ALSO OVER THE  
ADJACENT OFFSHORE WATERS AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.  
 
FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE IN THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO PER RECENT  
ASCAT SCATTEROMETER DATA. WINDS ARE MODERATE OR WEAKER ELSEWHERE,  
EXCEPT MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTH OF THE MONSOON TROUGH NEAR THE  
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. SEAS ARE 4 TO 7 FT IN LONG-PERIOD S TO SW  
SWELL, EXCEPT 7 TO 9 FT SOUTHWEST OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE  
OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN AND RELATIVELY LOWER PRESSURE OVER  
CENTRAL AMERICA WILL LEAD TO PULSING STRONG TO NEAR GALE-FROCE  
NORTHEAST TO EAST GAP WINDS OVER THE PAPAGAYO REGION THROUGH THU,  
WITH RESULTANT ROUGH SEAS, THEN MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS  
THEREAFTER. MODERATE TO FRESH ASSOCIATED WINDS WILL EXTEND WELL  
DOWNWIND ACROSS THE OUTER OFFSHORE WATERS OF EL SALVADOR AND  
GUATEMALA AT TIMES. MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTHERLY WINDS SOUTH OF  
THE MONSOON TROUGH WILL DIMINISH LATER THIS MORNING. LARGE  
SOUTHERLY SWELL WILL IMPACT WATERS MAINLY FROM ECUADOR TO THE  
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS THROUGH THU, LARGEST EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.  
   
..REMAINDER OF THE AREA
 
 
SEE TROPICAL WAVES SECTION ABOVE FOR INFORMATION ON TWO TROPICAL  
WAVES THAT HAVE POTENTIAL FOR TROPICAL DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS  
WEEK AND INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.  
 
MODERATE TO FRESH E WINDS ARE NOTED FROM NEAR 10N TO 19N BETWEEN  
124W AND 138W AS SEEN BY RECENT ASCAT SCATTEROMETER DATA, AND  
IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROPICAL WAVE AT 127W. FRESH TO LOCALLY  
STRONG WINDS AND SEAS OF AROUND 8 FT ARE FROM 09N TO 11N BETWEEN  
98W AND 103W AS SEEN BY ASCAT, AND ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE  
TROPICAL WAVE AT 100W. MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS  
ARE ALSO FOUND SOUTH OF 04N BETWEEN 90W AND 140W. ROUGH SEAS ARE  
SOUTH OF 04N BETWEEN 88W AND 128W IN SE TO S SWELL, EXCEPT IN  
THE LEE OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. WINDS ARE MODERATE OR WEAKER  
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE OPEN WATERS, WITH SEAS OF 4 TO 7 FT.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, REGARDLESS OF TROPICAL DEVELOPMENT, THE  
TROPICAL WAVES DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE SECTION WILL BRING SOME  
INCREASING WINDS AND SEAS TO AREA WATERS. AWAY FROM THESE WAVES,  
LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED IN MARINE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEK,  
WITH CONDITIONS A BIT MORE TRANQUIL ACROSS THE OPEN WATERS BY THE  
UPCOMING WEEKEND.  
 

 
LEWITSKY  
 
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