WHCA31 TAPA
TROPICAL STORM BERTHA ALERT STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
11:17 PM ECT THU, JUL 31, 2014
…TROPICAL STORM BERTHA DEVELOPS EAST OF THE SOUTHERN LESSER ANTILLES…
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS AT 2.00AM.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA…GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS.
AT 1100 PM AST…0300 UTC…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.3 NORTH…LONGITUDE 55.5 WEST. BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MPH…31 KM/H…AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
ON THE FORECAST PATH…BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR BARBADOS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL LESSER ANTILLES FRIDAY EVENING.
REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH…75 KM/H…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES…75 KM FROM THE CENTER.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1008 MB…29.77 INCHES.
BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 5 INCHES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT NEAR GALE-FORCE WINDS, MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO SPREAD ACROSS THE LEEWARD ISLANDS BEGINNING OVERNIGHT FRIDAY AND THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS FROM SATURDAY MORNING.
ALL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS AND MOVEMENT OF BERTHA.
