Tropical Storm Bertha Is Here
As we discussed last night there was potential for tropical development in the
far eastern portions of the Atlantic Ocean. That potential has been realized a
bit more quickly than hurricane forecasters thought last night as Tropical Storm
Bertha has been declared as of 11 AM.The odds are relatively high that
Bertha will end up being a "fish storm" -- a storm that stays out in the
Atlantic and provides little threat to interests in the Caribbean and the East
Coast. However, the early development of a tropical storm out by the Cape Verde
Islands typically means a more active than usual "Cape Verde season" with more
frequent hurricanes traversing the tropical Atlantic. Whether or not those Cape
Verde hurricanes become a threat to the East Coast remains to be seen and that
factor will be determined by the middle and upper level steering patterns in the
Atlantic. Those steering patterns can be determined with greater accuracy as we
move closer to the heart of the Cape Verde season in August and
September.

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