Maracaibo, Venezuela

Weather Underground Forecast for Wednesday, May 22, 2013.

Expect little change in weather across the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday as high pressure ridging continues across the region. The ridge of high pressure will extend from the western Atlantic Ocean to the Texas coast, leading to continued southeasterly winds across the gulf. A few light isolated showers may develop in the central gulf through Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, high pressure north of the Caribbean Sea and low pressure crossing the northern tier South America will maintain moderate to fresh trades across the Caribbean basin. Upper level energy streaming across the islands just north of the basin will kick up scattered showers and chances of thunderstorms in the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. More robust showers and thunderstorms are anticipated in the southwestern corner of the basin and across Panama and Costa Rica due to the proximity of the monsoon trough.

For South America, heavy rain, strong winds, and storms will continue across the northern tier of the continent as warm and humid flow streams across the region with a tropical wave of low pressure. To the south, a trough of low pressure will support widely scattered light showers from Paraguay and up along the southeastern Brazil coast. Further south, light to moderate precipitation continues in Chile as a frontal disturbance continues to impact the country. A second low from the eastern Pacific will reach the southern third of the nation by Wednesday night with a second wave of precipitation.