Bertha...First Hurricane of 2008

Bertha became the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season on Monday. It was barely a hurricane with 75 mph winds Monday morning, but by 5pm was classified as a major hurricane with 115 mph winds. The system intensified quickly as it moved over warm water, which serves as its fuel. The system then lost alot of its steam Tuesday as it encountered more wind shear. Strong wind shear is a good thing with tropical systems, because it helps to tear them apart. Bertha just barely maintained its hurricane status late Tuesday night and early today. The storm has had less wind shear and more warm water to deal with today, so it's now a Category 2 hurricane with over 100 mph winds. It looks like further strengthening is expected as Bertha remains in a favorable environment (warm waters and low wind shear).

Bertha is expected to continue moving off toward the northwest before turning more toward the north late tomorrow and Friday. The projected track keeps the storm east of Bermuda and away from our shores, which is good news for everyone. Hurricanes can sometimes have a mind of their own though, which is why we will continue to track it every step of the way.

I'll have another update Thursday. For the latest information on the storm anytime, check out our hurricane center (http://www.wwaytv3.com/hurricane-center).