MIAMI -- The National Hurricane Center continues monitoring Tropical Storm Bertha as it moves west in the Gulf, away from Florida and toward Mississippi and Louisiana.

Gulf coastal areas from Mexico Beach and Panama City west to the Alabama-Florida border are under a Tropical Storm Warning, meaning those areas are likely to experience tropical storm force winds within 36 hours.

Here's the full advisory from the National Hurricane Center...

...AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS FIND BERTHA HAS STRENGTHENED...

...TROPICAL STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS

OF THE NORTHERN GULF COAST...

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION

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LOCATION...29.3N 86.3W

ABOUT 70 MI...115 KM SSW OF PANAMA CITY FLORIDA

ABOUT 145 MI...235 KM SE OF MOBILE ALABAMA

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH...95 KM/H

PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNW OR 345 DEGREES AT 3 MPH...6 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...995 MB...29.39 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

--------------------

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Tropical Storm Watch has been upgraded to a Tropical Storm

Warning from the Florida/Alabama border eastward to the Bay/Gulf

County Line.

The Tropical Storm Warning has been extended westward to the

Terrebonne/Lafourche Parish Line.

The Tropical Storm Watch has been extended westward from Morgan

City, Louisiana, to the Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line.

The Storm Surge Watch has been discontinued along the northern Gulf

Coast. A Coastal Flood Warning has been issued by the National

Weather Service for portions of the southeastern Louisiana and

Mississippi coastline.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* Bay/Gulf County Line in Florida to the Terrebonne/Lafourche Parish

Line in Louisiana

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...

* West of the Terrebonne/Lafourche Parish Line to the

Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line

* Metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are

expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are

possible within the watch area, in this case in the next 24 to 48

hours.

For storm information specific to your area, including other

coastal and inland watches and warnings, please monitor products

issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK

----------------------

At 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Bertha was

located near latitude 29.3 North, longitude 86.3 West. Bertha is

moving toward the north-northwest near 3 mph (6 km/h) but is

expected to turn toward the west-northwest and west later today and

tonight. Then, a continued westward motion is forecast through the

middle of the week. On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or

along the northern Gulf Coast during the next several days.

Data from the Air Force Hurricane Hunters indicate that maximum

sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher

gusts. Little change in strength is expected today, followed by

gradual weakening through the middle of this week.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles (150 km)

from the center. NOAA buoy 42039 south-southeast of Pensacola

recently reported sustained winds of 49 mph (79 km/h) and a gust of

54 mph (86 km/h).

The estimated minimum central pressure based on aircraft data is

995 mb (29.39 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

----------------------

Key messages for Tropical Storm Bertha can be found in the Tropical

Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT2 and WMO header

WTNT42 KNHC.

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning

area along the northern Gulf coast by late today into Wednesday.

Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area in

Louisiana by Wednesday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and the tide will

cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded by

rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could

reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated

areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...

Mouth of the Mississippi River, LA to MS/AL Border...2-4 ft

Indian Pass, FL to Aucilla River, FL...1-3 ft

MS/AL Border to AL/FL Border...1-3 ft

Lake Pontchartrain...1-3 ft

Vermilion/Cameron Parish Line, LA to Mouth of the Mississippi River,

LA...1-3 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast.

Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge

and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For

information specific to your area, please see products issued by

your local National Weather Service forecast office.

For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation,

please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic,

available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?peakSurge.

RAINFALL: Bertha is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 2

to 4 inches with isolated higher totals around 6 inches through

Thursday along the central Gulf Coast from western Florida into

southern Louisiana. This rainfall may produce isolated flash

flooding, especially in urban areas.

For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with

Bertha, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall

Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?rainqpf and

the Flash Flood Risk graphic at

hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ero.

SURF: Swells generated by Bertha are affecting portions of Florida

and will spread westward along the northern Gulf Coast during the

week. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip

current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather

office.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found

at: hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ripCurrents

Photo: Canva

Heath West