Categories: NOAA

NOAA: Tropical Storm Bertha To Become Hurricane Bertha

MIAMI, Florida — As of 5 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, August 4, 2014, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida issued a Public Advisory due to the presence of Tropical Storm Bertha in the Atlantic Ocean.

Data collected from U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that Tropical Storm Bertha is nearing winds of 70 miles per hour which is the minimum threshold required to be classified as a Category 1 hurricane.

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center’s storm tracker map forecasts that the center of the tropical cyclone will be located between the U.S. east coast and Bermuda by Tuesday morning when the tropical storm becomes Hurricane Bertha.

Tropical Storm Bertha is currently located about 220 miles east of Great Abaco Island with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, with higher gusts.

T.S. Bertha is moving north at 16 miles per hour. NOAA projects that this general motion will continue through Monday followed by a change in direction to the north-northeast by Tuesday.

Tropical storm-force winds extend 160 miles from the center of T.S. Bertha.

Spaghetti model forecasts are generally in agreement that Tropical Storm Bertha will remain well off the Florida east coast and the rest of the southeastern United States.

There are no tropical storm warnings or watches in effect.

NOAA National Hurricane Center Official Public Advisory:

000
WTNT33 KNHC 040859
TCPAT3

BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM BERTHA ADVISORY NUMBER  14
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL       AL032014
500 AM EDT MON AUG 04 2014

...BERTHA STRENGTHENS A LITTLE MORE AS IT MOVES NORTHWARD AWAY FROM
THE BAHAMAS...


SUMMARY OF 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...26.1N 73.6W
ABOUT 220 MI...350 KM E OF GREAT ABACO ISLAND
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...70 MPH...110 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 350 DEGREES AT 16 MPH...26 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...999 MB...29.50 INCHES


WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
THERE ARE NO COASTAL WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN EFFECT.


DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 73.6 WEST. BERTHA IS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 16 MPH...26 KM/H...AND THIS GENERAL
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY...FOLLOWED BY A GRADUAL TURN
TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AND NORTHEAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK...BERTHA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE
BAHAMAS TODAY AND PASS ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN THE U.S. EAST COAST AND
BERMUDA ON TUESDAY.

REPORTS FROM A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/H...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT
DAY OR SO...AND BERTHA IS FORECAST TO BECOME A HURRICANE LATER
TODAY.  SLOW WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY LATE TUESDAY.

TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES...260 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

DATA FROM THE NOAA AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT THE MINIMUM CENTRAL
PRESSURE IS 999 MB...29.50 INCHES.


HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
NONE.


NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 AM EDT.

$$
FORECASTER STEWART