Hurricane Bertha expected to miss Leeward Islands

By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-TROPICAL storm Bertha strengthened in the early hours of Monday (July 7th) to become the first hurricane of the 2008 season, but forecasters believe the storm should travel north of the Leeward Islands, leaving St. Kitts & Nevis relatively unaffected.

As of 11 a.m. EST Monday, Bertha was spinning 775 miles west of the Leeward Islands and was moving in a northwesterly direction at a speed of 15miles per hour (mph). 

Shortly after being named the first hurricane of the season, Bertha’s winds strengthened from 75mph to 90mph.

"Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours, and Bertha could become a Category 2 hurricane later today or tonight," the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) stated in a release, indicating that to reach a Category 2 the storm would have to reach wind speeds between 96 and 115mph.

According to the NHC, Bertha will likely be guided away from the Leeward Islands as it moves along a “mid-level high pressure ridge” in the area. A majority of the forecast models agree that the ridge is expected to weaken , causing “a gradual turn towards the northwest with a reduction in forward speed…over the next couple of days.”

Earlier forecast models had indicated that the northern most Leeward Islands, including St. Kitts & Nevis, stood a chance of being hit by the periphery of the storm.

St. Kitts & Nevis does remain under advisory, however, as an “abundance of upper level moisture in the area…is generating showers and isolated thunderstorms.” 

In a previous interview with SKNVibes.com the National Disaster Coordinator for the Federation, Karl Herbert said that the island should not take its hurricane preparations lightly.

“We have not been impacted severely for a few years now and we at NEMA [the National Emergency Management Association] worry that people have relaxed a bit, but there is no guarantee that a serious storm won’t strike this year,” Herbert had informed.

Bertha formed on July 3rd near the southern Cape Verde Islands in the far eastern Atlantic near the coast of Africa. More information on the storm is scheduled to be released by the NHC at 5 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time today.