000 WTNT32 KNHC 120541 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE BERTHA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 36A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL022008 200 AM AST SAT JUL 12 2008 ...BERTHA REMAINS ON A SLOW TRACK TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST... A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BERMUDA. AT 200 AM AST...0600Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BERTHA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.6 WEST OR ABOUT 230 MILES... 370 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. BERTHA IS MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH...7 KM/HR. A GENERAL NORTHWARD MOTION WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY PASS TO THE SOUTHEAST AND EAST OF BERMUDA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...BUT THE MOTION COULD OCCASIONALLY BE ERRATIC. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 90 MPH...150 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BERTHA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT BERTHA COULD COME CLOSE ENOUGH TO BERMUDA WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO BRING WINDS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE TO THAT ISLAND AND ADJACENT WATERS. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 976 MB...28.82 INCHES. LARGE SWELLS AND HIGH SURF ARE AFFECTING BERMUDA...AND THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE OUTER BANDS OF BERTHA ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN BERMUDA OF 1 TO 2 INCHES DURING THE NEXT TWO DAYS. REPEATING THE 200 AM AST POSITION...29.5 N...62.6 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...976 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER BEVEN