SOMETHING IS GOING ON.........

[dixiebreeze]

As I've been posting this evening, pressures are quite low and/or falling all along the Florida west coast and in fact, all the way to Cuba and the Caymans. Any on-board mets have a clue:

Aeropuerto Jose Marti, Rancho-Boyeros, Habana, Cuba
(MUHA) 22-59N 082-24W 75M

Conditions at Sep 18, 2003 - 07:51 PM EDTSep 18, 2003 - 06:51 PM CDTSep 18, 2003 - 05:51 PM MDTSep 18, 2003 - 04:51 PM PDTSep 18, 2003 - 03:51 PM ADTSep 18, 2003 - 02:51 PM HDT
2003.09.18 2351 UTC
Wind Calm
Visibility 2 mile(s)
Sky conditions mostly clear
Weather Haze
Temperature 80 F (27 C)
Dew Point 75 F (24 C)
Relative Humidity 83%
Pressure (altimeter) 29.85 in. Hg (1011 hPa)
ob MUHA 182351Z 00000KT 4000SW HZ FEW020 27/24 Q1011

Seems very unusual to me. Even some of the off-shore buoys along the E. GOM are lower than usual considering the apparent atmospheric conditions.

[dixiebreeze]

Central GOM, too:

Conditions at 42003 as of
(7:00 pm CDT on 09/18/2003)
0000 GMT on 09/19/2003: Wind Direction (WDIR): ENE ( 70 deg true )
Wind Speed (WSPD): 11.7 kts
Wind Gust (GST): 13.6 kts
Wave Height (WVHT): 3.6 ft
Dominant Wave Period (DPD): 6 sec
Atmospheric Pressure (PRES): 29.86 in
Pressure Tendency (PTDY): +0.00 in ( Steady )
Air Temperature (ATMP): 82.0 °F
Water Temperature (WTMP): 84.7 °F
Dew Point (DEWP): 75.2 °F
Heat Index (HEAT): 88.9 °F

All these pressures have been steadily dropping since early this morning.