Hurricane BERTHA

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HURRICANE BERTHA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  34A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL022008
200 PM AST FRI JUL 11 2008
 
...AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE REACHES BERTHA...

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BERMUDA. A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 200 PM AST...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BERTHA WAS LOCATED
BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE NEAR LATITUDE 28.7
NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.0 WEST OR ABOUT 300 MILES...480 KM...
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA.
 
BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR.
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE NORTH DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...
BERTHA'S FRINGES WILL BE NEARING BERMUDA ON SATURDAY.

PRELIMINARY DATA FROM THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE INDICATE THAT THE
MAXIMUM WINDS COULD BE A LITTLE BIT STRONGER THAN PREVIOUSLY
ESTIMATED. HOWEVER...UNTIL THIS DATA IS CONFIRMED...THE MAXIMUM
SUSTAINED WINDS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. BERTHA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.  SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140
MILES...220 KM.
 
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS 977 MB...28.85 INCHES.
 
LARGE SWELLS AND HIGH SURF ARE AFFECTING BERMUDA...AND THESE
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
 
REPEATING THE 200 PM AST POSITION...28.7 N...62.0 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...977 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
500 PM AST.
 
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
 
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