Tropical Storm Bertha formed in the northeast Gulf of Mexico yesterday. At the time of this post, the center of Bertha is located just to the south of Pensacola moving northwest at 5 mph with a minimum central pressure of 995 millibars and maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.
Coastal areas of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are under a Tropical Storm Warning.
It is likely that Bertha is going to be mostly a non-event for the area. Wind shear out of the northeast is keeping most of the convective (shower and thunderstorm) activity to the south of the center of circulation. This is expected to remain the case, and an upper-level ridge (area of high pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere) over the Plains and Lower Mississippi River Valley should put Bertha on a westerly track later today or tonight keeping the center south of the area.
Gusty winds can be expected for the remainder of the day through tomorrow, possibly up to 40-50 mph, along with showers and thunderstorms as outer bands rotate around the center and onshore. This could lead to some downed trees/tree limbs and possibly some power outages.
Additionally, rough surf and minor coastal flooding and erosion can be expected at the coast. This includes a high risk for rip currents. Rainfall amounts will be rather low, so flash flooding shouldn’t be much of an issue.
Bertha should be well to our west by tomorrow night and Thursday.
