Tropical Storm Bertha Forms out in the Atlantic and is Heading Straight for the Caribbean
Daily Mail UK, 1 August 2014
Tropical Storm Bertha has formed, becoming the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
The U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami said the tropical storm's maximum sustained winds Thursday night were near 45 mph (75 kph).
The storm is centered about 275 miles (445 kilometers) southeast of Barbados and about 385 miles (620 kilometers) southeast of St. Lucia, and is moving northwest at 20 mph (31 kph).
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The newly named Tropical Storm Bertha was forecast to move through the Lesser Antilles and pass close to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic
This season has gotten off to a slow start, in many ways.
Hurricane Arthur was just a few days ahead of the normal timing for the season's first named system, though the season's first hurricane doesn't typically arrive until early August.
This season was the first since 2004 without a tropical storm forming in May or June.
The long-range forecast still calls for a mild season. In part, that’s based on the formation of an El Nino in the tropical Pacific.
During El Nino, the warming of surface waters result in upper-air winds from the west that can snuff out potential Atlantic hurricanes.
Tropical Storm Bertha has formed, becoming the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season
As far as Bertha is concerned, a tropical storm warning has been issued for Barbados and Dominica. A tropical storm watch has been issued for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bertha was expected to pass near Barbados on Friday afternoon and travel through the central Lesser Antilles on Friday evening.
The hurricane center said little change is expected in the storm's strength over the next couple of days.
The meteorological service of Barbados has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Barbados and Dominica.
The governments of St. Lucia and Dominican Republic have issued a Tropical Storm Warning
Tropical Storm Bertha Forms off the Eastern Barbados coast
