Tropical Storm Bertha continues to churn slowly across the Gulf.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the center of Tropical Storm Bertha was about 100 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Florida.
Maximum sustained winds are now 50 mph with higher gusts, and the minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 997 mb.
The system is creeping northwest at 5 mph.
A slow northwestward to west-northwestward motion is expected today, followed by a turn westward by the middle part of this week. On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next several days.
Some slight strengthening is possible later today, followed by gradual weakening through the middle of this week. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
- Alabama/Florida border to the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish border in Louisiana
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
- Alabama/Florida Border to the Mouth of the Mississippi River
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
- Bay/Gulf County line in Florida westward to the Florida/Alabama border
- West of the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish border to Morgan City, Louisiana
- Metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas
Aside from isolated showers and storms early this week due to the wind flow around the system pushing tropical moisture over us, additional impacts are not expected for our area.
This is due to the system’s westerly movement, which will keep the highest rainfall totals across the Panhandle and northern Gulf Coast.