Eye on the Tropics

Bertha continues to weaken over the Carolinas

By Irene Sans, WFTV.com

Eye on the Tropics: WFTV Severe Weather Center 9 Tropical Storm Bertha formed early Wednesday morning (5/27) near the coast of South Carolina.

By Irene Sans, WFTV.com

Orlando, Fla. — Latest update:

Bertha continues to weaken as it travels over North Carolina Wednesday evening. Western Virginia could receive up to 4 inches of rain as the system continues to travel northward.


Earlier version:

Early this morning, the National Hurricane Center determined that the tropical system approaching the South Carolina coast had strengthened to a Tropical Storm, reaching maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It then acquired a name: Bertha.

SEE: Today’s Weather Forecast for Central Florida

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Bertha becomes our second storm of this 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which has not yet officially started. This is the 6th consecutive year where at least one storm has developed ahead of schedule.

Tropical storm warnings were placed along the South Carolina coast from Edisto Beach to South Santee River.

Nota en español: Temporada de Huracanes 2020: Pronosticadores altamente confiados en una temporada activa

DO YOU KNOW? What do they mean? Disturbance, depressions, tropical, subtropical storms, hurricanes

At 9:30 a.m. ET, Bertha’s center made landfall just east of Charleston, South Carolina. It will continue to move slowly to the northwest onto land.

At the 11 a.m. advisory, Bertha has strengthened, it has maximum sustained winds at 50 mph. It is expected to weaken as it moves over land. Bertha, or its remnants, will pick up speed this evening as it travels over eastern South Carolina and enters North Carolina.

Bertha’s main threat is rain. Total rain accumulation of 2 to 4 inches with isolated totals of 8 inches across eastern and central South Carolina into west-central to far southeastern North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Given very saturated antecedent conditions, this rainfall may produce life-threatening flash flooding, aggravate and prolong ongoing river flooding, and produce rapid out of bank rises on smaller rivers.

Read more: Hurricane Season 2020: How are they named? Who names them? Why? When? Why they retire names? Why isn’t Dorian retired yet?

Hurricane Preparedness Week: New weather products for the 2020 season

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