WEATHER WATCH: TS Bertha Moving Away from Dominican Republic. Storm Grows Bigger

SINT MAARTEN - As of 2.00AM Sunday, August 3^rd, 2014, TS Bertha is moving away from the Dominican Republic this morning and move near or over the South Eastern Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands on Sunday afternoon and move east of the central Bahamas Sunday night. 

TS Bertha has grown larger in size with hurricane force winds extending outward from the center by up to 160 miles mainly to the northeast section of the system.  The National Hurricane Center still expects TS Bertha to strengthen on Monday or Tuesday.  By then it will not be a threat to land and will be over the open ocean. 

At 2.00AM TS Bertha was located 30 miles north of Puerto Plata Dominican Republic and 95 miles south east of Grand Turk Island.  Maximum sustained winds are 45 miles per hour and the storm is moving north west at 21 miles per hour.  

ARCHIVE: Saturday, August 2nd, 2014 - At 2.00PM the poorly organized TS Bertha was moving through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.  Bertha was 110 miles west south west of San Juan, Puerto Rico and 150 miles east south east of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  

Bertha should move away from Puerto Rico this afternoon and move near or over the eastern side of the Dominican Republic later this afternoon and tonight-Saturday.  The system should be near or over the south eastern Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands on Sunday. 

TS Bertha could strengthen Sunday night and Monday. 

Sustained wind speeds are 50 miles per hour along high higher gusts, and moving west north west at 22 miles per hour. TS force winds extend outward from the center up to 105 miles mainly to the north east. 

ARCHIVE: Friday, August 1st, 2014 - TS Bertha is disorganized but continues on its track across the Caribbean.  At 11.00PM Bertha was located 180 miles south east of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and 275 miles south east of San Juan , Puerto Rico.  Bertha's wind speeds are 50 miles per hour with higher gusts and is moving quickly at 22 miles per hour west north west.

TS Bertha is forecast to pass near Puerto Rico on Saturday and move near or over the Dominican Republic late Saturday and Saturday night and approach the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands on Sunday.

TS Warning for Dominica has been discontinued.  TS Watches are in effect for the eastern part of the Domincan Republic as well as parts of The Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

ARCHIVE: Friday, August 1st, 2014 - As of 2.00PM TS Bertha is approaching the island of Martinique (45 miles east of the island) and 115 miles north north west of Barbados with maximum wind speeds at 50 miles per hour and higher gusts.  According to the NHC TS Bertha is quickly moving at 22 miles per hour west north west. 

The Government of St. Lucia has discontinued the TS Warning for the island.  Bertha will track into the Northeastern Caribbean Sea late this afternoon-Friday and into the night and approach Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Saturday.

ARCHIVE: FRiday, August 1, 2014 - As of 11.00AM TS Bertha has increased in strength with wind speeds of 50 miles per hour with higher gusts.  TS force winds now extend 115 miles outward instead of 45 miles from the center, and mainly in the northeast section of the storm.  The system however according to the NHC is disorganized.  A TS Watch has been issued for Cabo Engano to Isla Saona in the Dominican Republic.  Warnings and watches have been discontinued for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

There are no watches or warnings for Sint Maarten or the surrounding islands of Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barths, St. Kitts & Nevis.

According to the NHC TS Bertha at 11.00AM was located 150 miles east south east of Martinique and 70 miles north east of Barbados and moving quickly at 21 miles per hour to the west north west.

ARCHIVE: Friday, August 1 - As of 8.00AM on Friday, August 1st, a TS Storm Warning has been issued for the island of Martinique according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).  A Hurricane Hunter Reconnaisance aircraft has been sent into TS Bertha to investigate the current status of the system.

Sint Maarten is not under any TS watches or warnings as it remains outside of the storm cone with respect to how the system is traveling.

TS Bertha is forecast to pass near or north of Barbados during the next several hours and move through the central Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia) tonight-Friday and into the Northeastern Caribbean on Saturday. TS conditions are expected to reach Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica and Martinique by midday-Friday.  TS conditions are expected i Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Saturday.

The following islands are under a TS Warning: Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.  A TS Watch is in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

As of 8.00AM TS Bertha is 110 miles east north east of Barbados; 220 miles east south east of Martinique; its moving west north west at a quick 20 miles per hour and its maximum sustained winds are 45 miles per hour with higher gusts.  TS force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.

ARCHIVE: Thursday, July 31, 2014 - As of 11.00pm, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded the low pressure system to Tropical Storm (TS) Bertha.  The system was located at that time 275 miles east south east of Barbados and moving west north west at a quick 20 miles per hour.  Wind speeds are 45 miles per hour with higher gusts.  TS force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center. No watches or warnings have been issued for Sint Maarten.

Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominica are under a TS Warning which means tropical storm conditions can be expected within 24 hours.

A TS Watch is in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Vincent & the Grenadines. A watch means that TS conditions are possible within 48 hours. 

A TS Warning could be required for Martinique on Friday morning. 

Interests elsewhere across the Northeastern Caribbean Sea should monitor the progress of the system.

ARCHIVE: At 8.00pm Thursday evening the National Hurricane Center reported that a well-defined low pressure system located 350 miles east-southeast of Barbados, has wind speeds of 40 to 45 miles per hour in the northern and eastern portions of the system.

The NHC says the possibility exist that a Tropical Storm could form tonight-Thursday or early Friday morning, however gale force winds are likely to spread across portions of the Lesser Antilles beginning Friday midday.

Watches and warnings may be necessary for some of the islands later tonight-Thursday or Friday.

Interests in the Lesser Antilles should continue to monitor the progress of this low pressure system as it moves very quickly - 20 miles per hour west-northwestward. 

An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter Reconnaissance aircraft visited the system Thursday afternoon and evening. 

ARCHIVE: At 8.00am on Thursday morning the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has advised residents of the Lesser Antilles to closely monitor weather reports as it may have to issue Tropical Depression or Tropical Storm advisories later during this morning.  A Hurricane Hunter Reconnaisance aircraft will visit the system on Thursday afternoon.

The well defined low pressure system was located approxiamtely 650 miles east of the southern Windward Islands.  The system has become better organized.

ARCHIVE: Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - The National Hurricane Center (NHC) on Wednesday afternoon says the low pressure system approximately 1000 miles east of the southern Windward Islands has weakened a bit, but conditions remain favourable that the system could still develop into a Tropical Depression during the next couple of days and therefore interests in the Lesser Antilles should continue to monitor the progress of the system.

Brian McNoldy, says that the computer guidance models have the system passing over the Leeward Islands on Saturday and close to Puerto Rico on Sunday. 

ARCHIVE: Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - According to Brian McNoldy, Senior Research Associate at University of Miami’s Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the area of disturbed weather in the Atlantic Ocean over 1400 miles east of the South Windward Islands is poised to develop into Tropical Depression #3 (TD#3).  Last week Tropical Depression #2 had dissipated around this time and at the same location.  This new weather system is in an environment which is more favourable for this system to develop.

The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday evening said the system has a 70 per cent chance of developing into a TD#3 by Wednesday morning.

This tropical wave system had exited the coast of Africa last week Friday and has attracted the interests of weather watches ever since.  Each day it has become better organized.

Ocean temperature where the system is located is warm enough to support the development according to McNoldy, of a strong hurricane.  He adds, “As far as the forecast goes, all models agree on it becoming a tropical storm within a day.  Some are a little more aggressive and bring it up to minimal hurricane intensity by Friday, while the majority maintain a tropical storm for several days.”

“The short-range track forecast is easy: maintain a west-northwest heading at about 12 mph for the next five days.  This will bring it near the Leeward Islands on Saturday and Puerto Rico on Sunday. Around that time, depending on its intensity, it could start interacting with an upper-level trough.  If it is weaker, it will be more likely to stay further south, but if it’s stronger, it will be more likely to get nudged northward and recurve east of the Bahamas.”