•As of the 3:00 PM EDT special advisory, Tropical Storm Bertha has made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. All tropical storm watches and warnings in Florida have been cancelled.
•On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf coast during the next several days.
•Maximum sustained winds are 45 mph with higher gusts.
•Gradual weakening is forecast over the next several days.
•Bertha will continue to bring periods of heavy rainfall, gusty winds, dangerous surf, and life-threatening rip currents to the Western Panhandle through tonight as it moves westward along the northern Gulf Coast.
Florida Outlook:
•All FL tropical storm watches and warnings have been cancelled.
•Breezy to gusty winds are expected today along much of the Panhandle and Big Bend coast with sustained winds of 20-30 mph and wind gusts upwards of 35-40 mph. A Wind Advisory covers coastal Wakulla to Walton counties while the Tropical Storm Warning covers the remainder of the coastal Panhandle for these gusty winds.
•Stronger wind gusts upwards of 45-50 mph may accompany the strongest embedded thunderstorm activity within the outer rain bands of Bertha.
•A Marginal Risk (level 1 of 4) for Flash Flooding remains outlooked across the Panhandle and Big Bend today for periods of heavy rainfall associated with the outer rain bands of Bertha.
•Most locations will receive below 1” of rainfall still to come associated with Bertha across the Panhandle and Big Bend. Locally higher totals upwards of 1-2” cannot be ruled out in areas that receive multiple rounds of heavy downpours within the outer rain bands of Bertha.
•High Surf Warnings remain in effect for Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties for dangerous high surf near 8-12’ through tonight. A High Surf Advisory remains in effect for Walton, Bay, and Gulf counties through Thursday afternoon where waves will reach 4-9’, with a few waves upwards of 10’ possible within the surf zone. Instances of minor beach erosion are possible for susceptible Panhandle beaches.
•A high risk for rip currents is expected for all Panhandle and Big Bend beaches through the week. A high risk across the West Coast will diminish to a moderate risk by Thursday and Friday.
•Hot and humid conditions will prevail throughout the state to end the week as Bertha departs the region. Afternoon heat index values will peak in the lower to middle 100s for most locations, with upper 100s possible in localized areas. Heat Advisories cannot be ruled out as conditions warrant.
