NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM BERTHA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6AM FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST 2014.

… BERTHA CONTINUES TOWARD THE LESSER ANTILLES AND THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA …

AT 5:00AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.0°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 57.0° WEST OR ABOUT 170 MILES EAST OF BARBADOS OR 295 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MARTINIQUE.

TROPICAL STORM BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR OR NORTH OF BARBADOS THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL LESSER ANTILLES TONIGHT...AND INTO THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN ON SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON

PREPARED BY FORECASTER: ORSON NIXON