…CENTER OF POORLY ORGANIZED BERTHA MOVING INTO THE EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS 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 WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS IN THIS CASE WITHIN 24 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, CAT ISLAND, SAN SALVADOR AND RUM CAY.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS IN THIS CASE WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 8:00 PM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 69.1 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 89 MILES EAST OF SANTO DOMINGO, 274 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, 360 MILES SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA AND 727 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.
BERTHA IS RAPIDLY MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 22 MILES PER HOUR. A TURN TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH THIS MOTION CONTINUING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DERCREASED TO NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE ON MONDAY.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES MAINLY TO THE EAST AND NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER.
ON THE FORECASTED TRACK AND SPEED BERTHA WILL APPROACH THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND INAGUA BY SUNDAY. THEREFORE RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD RUSH TO MAKE FINAL PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT THEIR PROPERTIES, AND BOATERS ARE ASKED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR IN THE EVENT THAT BERTHA SURVIVES THE CROSSING OF HISPANIOLA.
BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 5 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WILL BE ISSUED AT MIDNIGHT SUNDAY.
