…..CENTER OF BERTHA APPROACHING MARTINIQUE…
A TROPICAL STORM ALERT IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA.
AN ALERT MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS.
AT 2:00 PM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.5 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGTITUDE 60.3 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 45 MILES EAST OF MARTINIQUE, 888 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND 954 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA.
TROPICAL STORM BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 22 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 50 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE CENTER MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST.
ON THE FORECASTED TRACK AND SPEED BERTHA COULD REACH THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND INAGUA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THEREFORE RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD BEGIN MAKING THE NECESSARY PREPERATIONS IN THE EVENT THAT BERTHA SURVIVES THE CROSSING OF HISPANIOLA.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WILL BE ISSUED AT 6 PM EDT.
