Tropical Storm Bertha turning west this evening
Meteorologist Sam Lucey has a look at the week ahead
Tropical Storm Bertha continues to track west along the northern Gulf Coast Tuesday evening. As of the 7 PM CDT advisory, the storm was located about 105 miles southeast of Mobile, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and moving west at 6 mph.
Bertha is expected to continue moving west to west-northwest through Friday while gradually weakening.
While the center of Bertha is expected to remain offshore, impacts will continue across the northern Gulf Coast through Thursday. Gusty winds, periods of moderate rain, dangerous surf, and life-threatening rip currents remain the primary concerns.
Rainfall totals of up to 2 inches, and minor coastal flooding is also possible where storm surge reaches 1 to 3 feet, with 2 to 4 feet possible near the Mississippi River Delta.
For coastal Mississippi, skies will become partly cloudy tonight with only a slight chance of an early evening shower or thunderstorm. Overnight lows will fall to around 78 degrees with north winds around 10 mph.
Wednesday will remain hot despite Bertha’s influence. High temperatures will climb into the mid-90s, with heat index values approaching 112 degrees before scattered showers and thunderstorms develop during the day. Rain chances increase Wednesday night as bands of tropical moisture move through the area.
Showers and thunderstorms remain likely Thursday with highs near 92 degrees before rain chances gradually decrease heading into the weekend. Afternoon highs will generally stay in the lower 90s through Sunday with scattered, mainly afternoon thunderstorms. Early next week turns hotter again, with highs returning to the upper 90s by Monday and Tuesday.
Beachgoers should use extreme caution over the next several days as dangerous rip currents and rough surf continue along the Gulf Coast.
