…DISORGANIZED BERTHA MOVING WEST-NORTHWESTWARDS ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA…
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.
AT 11:00 PM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.7° DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 63.0° DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 180 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ST. CROIX, ABOUT 275 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO, 673 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND 779 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA.
TROPICAL STORM BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 22 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND ON SATURDAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED BY SATURDAY NIGHT AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY.
DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 50 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BERTHA REMAINS IN AN ENVIROMENT THAT IS NOT FAVORABLE FOR STRENGTHENING AND LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST THROUGH SUNDAY.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.
ON THE FORECASTED TRACK AND SPEED BERTHA COULD REACH THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND INAGUA BY SUNDAY. THEREFORE RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD MAKE THE NECESSARY PREPERATIONS IN THE EVENT THAT BERTHA SURVIVES THE CROSSING OF HISPANOLA.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WILL BE ISSUED AT 6AM, SATURDAY.
