page_title: Timeline of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
section_title: May
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season / Timeline / May
caption_attribution_description: English: Tropical Storm Arthur on May 18, 2020
context_page_description: The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is an ongoing event in the annual tropical cyclone season in the north Atlantic Ocean. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a hyperactive 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. The season officially began on June 1 and will end on November 30. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most Atlantic tropical systems form. However, storm formation is possible at any time of the year, as demonstrated in 2020 by the formation of the season's first named storm, Tropical Storm Arthur, on May 16.
  This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. It includes information that was not released throughout the season, meaning that data from post-storm reviews by the National Hurricane Center, such as a storm that was not initially warned upon, has been included.
  By convention, meteorologists use one time zone when issuing forecasts and making observations: Coordinated Universal Time, and also use the 24-hour clock.
context_section_description: May 16
  21:00 UTC (5:00 p.m. EDT) at 28.4°N 78.6°W – Tropical Depression One forms about 125 mi (200 km) east of Melbourne, Florida.
  May 17
  03:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. EDT May 16) at 29.4°N 77.7°W – Tropical Depression One intensifies into Tropical Storm Arthur approximately 195 mi (305 km) east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  May 19
  03:00 UTC (11:00 p.m. EDT May 18) at 36.4°N 72.4°W – Tropical Storm Arthur reaches its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 991 mbar (hPa; 29.27 inHg) about 190 mi (310 km) east-northeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
  15:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. AST) at 36.8°N 68.6°W – Tropical Storm Arthur transitions into an extratropical cyclone roughly 380 mi (610 km) northwest of Bermuda.
  May 27
  12:30 UTC (8:30 a.m. EDT) at 32.7°N 79.4°W – Tropical Storm Bertha forms near the South Carolina coast, just 30 mi (50 km) east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.
  13:30 UTC (9:30 a.m. EDT) at 32.9°N 79.7°W – Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall about 20 mi (30 km) east of Charleston, South Carolina, at peak intensity with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a central pressure of 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg).
  18:00 UTC (2:00 p.m. EDT) at 33.7°N 80.2°W – Tropical Storm Bertha weakens to a tropical depression approximately 65 mi (105 km) north-northwest of Charleston, South Carolina.
  May 28
  09:00 UTC (5:00 a.m. EDT) at 38.3°N 80.8°W – Tropical Depression Bertha transitions to an extratropical cyclone roughly 80 mi (130 km) north-northwest of Roanoke, Virginia.
caption: Arthur off the east coast of North Carolina near peak intensity on May 18
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