ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Bertha has formed in the northern Gulf and continues to track westward.
It is still expected to make landfall near the Mississippi River Delta, south of New Orleans, on Wednesday.
An area of high pressure in the southern Gulf could alter Bertha’s track. If the high shifts north, the storm could make landfall in Alabama or Mississippi slightly earlier.
Until then, Bertha is expected to continue growing in size and strength, becoming a moderately strong tropical storm with winds reaching 55 to 65 mph.
Heavy rain is expected along the Gulf Coast from Panama City, Florida, to Gulfport, Mississippi, from this afternoon through Wednesday.
A tropical storm watch remains in effect from Apalachicola to the Alabama-Mississippi border. A warning will likely be issued for parts of Mississippi and Louisiana within the next 24 hours.
Heavy rain will be the biggest threat from Bertha. Rainfall totals could reach 3 to 5 inches along the Gulf Coast, with higher amounts possible in southern Louisiana.
Bertha will have very little impact on Central Florida. It will bring some additional moisture this afternoon, but conditions will dry out for the rest of the workweek as the storm tracks west.
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