Hurricane Bertha

It looks like we have our first hurricane of the 2008 season...looks like Bertha is headed toward Bermuda. (I sure am glad we decided to NOT take the kids to Bermuda later this month - but instead are headed to Costa Rica!)





Keep your eyes and ears tuned! I'm sure Buddy will be giving us an update soon. Here's an excerpt from the National Weather Center:


...Special feature....Tropical Storm Bertha was upgraded to hurricane at 07/0900 UTC. Hurricane Bertha is centered near 19.3n 50.2w at 07/0900 UTC or about 730 nm E of the northern Leeward Islands moving WNW at 15 kt. Estimated minimum central pressure is 987 mb. Maximum sustained wind speed is 65 kt with gusts to 80 kt. See latest NHC forecast/advisory under AWIPS/WMO headers miatcmat2/wtnt42 knhc for more details. Bertha has developed an eye roughly 15-20 nm in diameter. While a hurricane does not form every year in July in the Atlantic Basin...it has certainly happened before... including in 1996 when another Hurricane Bertha formed... coincidentally also on July 7. Deep convection now surrounds the eye but the largest area remains to the NW. Scattered moderate/ isolated strong convection is within 75 nm of line from 18n51w to 22n49w.