Hurricane Bertha becomes major storm aimed at Bermuda

by dunkelberg | July 7, 2008 at 09:21 pm

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Hurricane Bertha is a major storm and bearing down on Bermuda.
The National Hurricane Center says the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season is now a Category Three storm, with top speeds nearing 195 KM/HR (120 MPH).

AT 1100 PM AST...0300Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 52.8 WEST OR ABOUT 695 MILES... 1115 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS AND ABOUT 1085 MILES...1745 KM...SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS.

It still is too early to tell if the storm will hit Bermuda as it makes an anticipated turn to the northeast, the hurricane center reports.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH...195 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BERTHA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE 12 TO 24 HOURS...FOLLOWED BY A GRADUAL WEAKENING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES...35 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM.

National Weather Service Hurricane Bertha Website

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