Tropical Weather Reports
in part our Tropical Weather Update today has been put together with data from Crown Weather Services, Windy and NOAA
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in part our Tropical Weather Update today has been put together with data from Crown Weather Services, Windy and NOAA
Tropical Weather Discussion
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
1815 UTC Thu Apr 30 2026
Correction to include a SPECIAL FEATURES section
Tropical Weather Discussion for North America, Central America Gulf of America, 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.
Gulf of America Gale WarningA strong late-season cold front is expected to move into the NW Gulf Fri evening or early Fri night and move across the basin through Sun morning, before stalling over the southeastern Gulf Mon. The front will be followed by fresh to strong N to NE winds, with winds reaching gale-force offshore Tampico and Veracruz on Sat, and continuing through Sat night near Veracruz. Seas are forecast to build to around 13 ft in the area of strongest winds through the weekend.
The monsoon trough exits the W coast of Africa near 10.5N14.5W and extends to 09N17W. The ITCZ extends from 02N13W to 03N22W to 01N38W to the coast of Brazil near 01.5S46W. Scattered moderate isolated strong convection is noted S of 01.5N between 09N and 22W, and S of 03.5N between 23W and 35W. Scattered to numerous moderate to strong convection is noted S of 01.5N between 36W and 50W.
Weak western Atlantic high pressure extends a ridge westward across south Florida and into the eastern Gulf, where a 1014 mb high pressure center is analyzed near 26N82W. The nocturnal Yucatan Peninsula trough has shifted northwestward overnight to the west central Gulf centered at 24N93W. A weak cold front has moved from southern Georgia, across the Florida Panhandle and then extends westward across the nearshore coastal waters of NW Florida and Alabama and across south Louisiana along about 20N. Moderate to locally fresh east-southeast to southeast winds prevail across much of the southwestern Gulf S of 26N, about the Yucatan Peninsula trough. Seas are 3 to 5 ft across these waters. Light to gentle anticyclonic winds prevail across the remainder of the basin, with seas less than 3 ft across the E Gulf east of 89W, and 2 to 4 ft across the NW gulf. A few weak showers are along the front across the Florida Panhandle waters. Areas of smoke due to agricultural and forest fires in southern Mexico are limiting visibility to 3 to 5 miles over the far western Gulf and along the west and northwest Yucatan coasts in the Bay of Campeche.
For the forecast, the weak pressure gradient will maintain generally gentle to moderate southeast to south winds across the basin, except for light to gentle variable winds over the NE Gulf, as the weak front drags across that area through Fri. Moderate seas will continue over the western Gulf while mostly slight seas are expected elsewhere through Fri. A diurnal trough will pulse fresh to strong winds off the Yucatan Peninsula during the evenings and at night through Fri. A strong late-season cold front will emerge off the Texas coast Fri night. The front will reach from northern Florida to the Bay of Campeche by late Sat, then from central Florida to the Yucatan peninsula on Sun, before stalling over the southeastern Gulf Mon. The front will be followed by fresh to strong north to northeast winds, with winds reaching gale-force offshore Tampico and Veracruz on Sat, and on Sat night near Veracruz. Seas are forecast to build to around 13 ft in the area of strongest winds through the weekend. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, some possibly strong, are expected to precede the front. Mariners are advised to keep up with the latest forecasts.
The pressure gradient between 1015 mb high pressure over the western Atlantic E of the Bahamas and relatively lower pressure in northern South America is sustaining fresh to locally strong trades off northeast Colombia and northwest Venezuela, as recently depicted in satellite scatterometer data. Seas are about 6 to 8 ft in this area. Gentle to moderate easterly trade winds prevail elsewhere across the basin, except locally fresh in the Gulf of Honduras. Seas of 3 to 5 ft prevail there per the latest buoy and satellite altimeter data. Scattered light to moderate showers are seen offshore of NW Venezuela. Scattered to locally numerous moderate to strong convection has developed in recent hours across the waters S of 21N from NW Colombia to northern Cost Rica, supported by a mid to upper-level trough persisting across the NW Caribbean.
For the forecast, Atlantic high pressure will remain N of the Caribbean basin through the weekend to support moderate to fresh trades over the eastern and central Caribbean through Mon, reaching locally strong at times. In the Gulf of Honduras, moderate to fresh east winds and moderate seas are expected through Fri, then increasing to fresh to strong speeds through Sat night and diminishing on Sun and Mon. A weakening cold front will approach the Yucatan Channel Sun and Sun night.
A 1015 mb high pressure is centered over the western Atlantic east of the northern Bahamas near 26.5N71W. To the east, a cold front extends through 31N42W to 28N44W to 23N56W, then become a weakening frontal trough to N of Hispaniola near 20.5N72W. Moderate southwest to west winds with seas of 3 to 5 ft seas are off northeast Florida to near 73W, with gentle breezes and 4-7 ft in N swell elsewhere west of 62W. Mostly fresh west to northwest winds are north of the front N of 26N and as far west as 63W. Seas are about 7 to 10 ft in northwest swell with these winds. Fresh to strong S to SW winds and seas of 7 to 10 ft in N swell prevail north of 25N and E of the front to 38W. Scattered showers and thunderstorms remain active within 300 nm east of the front north of 26N. Further east, 1018 mb high pressure is centered near 27N28W, with a stationary front to its east, reaching N to S along about 20W-21W. Gentle breezes and seas of 5 to 8 ft in N swell are present elsewhere north of 20N, and while moderate trades and seas of 4 to 6 ft are ongoing across the tropical Atlantic south of about 20N.
For the forecast west of 55W, the western Atlantic cold front will shift E of 55W today. The next cold front will move offshore northeast Florida today, then weaken as it moves across the waters N and NE of the Bahamas through Fri night to E of 55W Sat. A third cold front will move off the northeast Florida coast on Sat afternoon, reach from near 31N68W to east- central Florida on Sun, then stall through Mon. Low pressure is expected to move along the front at that time. Fresh to strong southwest winds will precede the front Sat and Sat night. Fresh northeast to east winds will follow the front through Mon.
Our Tropical Weather reports - for the most part are put together only during tropical weather season. Our reports are based on a number of online sources and are based on our past experience dealing with tropical weather. We also occasionally include non-tropical weather that would affect the area / footprint that we cover. For additional information check out Crown Weather Services