Statement as of 11:00 am EDT on July 04, 2008

the cloud pattern of Bertha consists of a couple of clusters of
convection to the north and south of the center embedded within a
large cyclonic circulation in the low clouds.  A Quikscat overpass
that was received just after the issuance of the previous
advisory...suggest that the maximum winds were around 45 kt.  The
structure of the cyclone has change little since that time and the
latest Dvorak data T numbers from SAB and TAFB support a 45 kt
initial intensity.
Bertha will be passing over slightly cooler waters during the next
24 hours...so no change in intensity is expected in the near term.
Between 24 and 72 hours...conditions are expected to become
conducive for gradual strengthening as SSTs increase and the shear
remains low.  Models suggest that the shear could increase
thereafter...so the new forecast keeps the intensity just shy of
hurricane strength.  However....it is Worth mentioning that the
SHIPS...lgem...and GFDL models forecast Bertha to become a
hurricane in 3-4 days.
Bertha is moving west-northwestward at a little faster
pace...290/14.  The storm should remain on this general heading
during the next 2-3 days as it is located south of a mid-level
ridge over the eastern Atlantic.  The guidance has continued to
shift westward...but there remains two distinct envelopes...one
that consists of the HWRF and GFDL that turn the cyclone
northwestward beyond day 3....and the other which keeps Bertha
on a more west-northwest track.  The official forecast track has
been adjusted westward to reflect the shift in the guidance.