page_title: Hurricane Bertha (2014)
section_title: Meteorological history
hierarchical_section_title: Hurricane Bertha (2014) / Meteorological history
caption_attribution_description: English: Track map of Hurricane Bertha of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season. The points show the location of the storm at 6-hour intervals. The colour represents the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds as classified in the Saffir–Simpson scale (see below), and the shape of the data points represent the nature of the storm, according to the legend below. Saffir–Simpson scale Tropical depression≤38 mph≤62 km/h Category 3111–129 mph178–208 km/h Tropical storm39–73 mph63–118 km/h Category 4130–156 mph209–251 km/h Category 174–95 mph119–153 km/h Category 5≥157 mph≥252 km/h Category 296–110 mph154–177 km/h Unknown Storm type Tropical cyclone Subtropical cyclone Extratropical cyclone / Remnant low / Tropical disturbance / Monsoon depression
context_page_description: Hurricane Bertha was an unusual tropical cyclone in early August 2014 that attained minimal hurricane status, despite having a disheveled appearance and a relatively high atmospheric pressure. On July 26, a tropical wave south of the Cape Verde Islands was monitored for possible tropical cyclogenesis. Over the following days, it slowly developed and acquired gale-force winds and enough convection to be designated as Tropical Storm Bertha early on August 1. A mostly disorganized cyclone, Bertha quickly moved across the Lesser Antilles, clipping the northern end of Martinique, later that day. During its trek across the eastern Caribbean Sea, its circulation became severely disrupted and it may have degenerated into a tropical wave. On August 3, it traversed the Mona Passage and moved over the Southeastern Bahamas where conditions favored development. Despite an overall ragged appearance on satellite imagery, data from Hurricane Hunters indicated it intensified to a hurricane on August 4; it acquired peak winds of 80 mph that day. Turning north, and later northeast, Bertha soon weakened as it began to merge with an approaching trough to the west.
context_section_description: On July 24, 2014, a westward moving tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa near the Cape Verde Islands. Following the development of convective activity —showers and thunderstorms— on July 26, National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring the system for potential tropical cyclogenesis. A disorganized system, development was forecast to be slow due to unfavorable environmental conditions. Organization and coverage of convection began improving by July 28, due in part to the passage of a Kelvin wave. An area of low pressure subsequently consolidated within the disturbance on July 29 and the NHC assessed the system as having imminent potential of becoming a tropical depression. Convection soon diminished over the system, though its circulation remained well-defined. Moving west-northwest around the periphery of a strong subtropical ridge, the low acquired tropical storm-force winds early on July 31 but continued to lack convection. A hurricane hunter aircraft investigated the system that afternoon and found winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) north and northeast of the center. In the hours following the weather reconnaissance mission, a band of deep convection blossomed near the center, prompting the NHC to designate the system as Tropical Storm Bertha at 00:00 UTC on August 1. Upon its classification, Bertha was situated roughly 345 mi (555 km) east-southeast of Barbados in the Lesser Antilles.
  Within hours of Bertha's designation on August 1, wind shear stemming from a trough over the central Atlantic displaced convection from the circulation center. Satellite imagery depicted a well-defined and vigorous circulation; however, observations from the hurricane hunters indicated a wind field more akin to a tropical wave. Around 21:00 UTC, Bertha clipped the northern end of Martinique with sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Persistent shear continued to take its toll on the cyclone as it entered the Caribbean Sea with aircraft data indicating no closed circulation at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) elevation. Despite this, observations from Martinique and Dominica indicated that there was some semblance of a surface circulation, and the NHC continued to monitor Bertha as a tropical storm. Throughout August 2, convection steadily increased in coverage and organization though the center of Bertha remained displaced from the strongest thunderstorms to the southwest. NEXRAD weather radar imagery from San Juan, Puerto Rico depicted a disorganized, possibly open circulation throughout the day. In light of this, NHC forecaster John Beven noted that the system could degenerate into an open wave around the time in reached Hispaniola later on August 2.
  Continued effects of dry air entrainment, shear, and land interaction further degraded Bertha's structure and late on August 2, "the system
  barely [qualified] as a tropical cyclone". Various data sources indicated no closed circulation by 21:00 UTC and it was noted that advisories could be discontinued, at least temporarily. Early on August 3, the disheveled storm moved through the Mona Passage and brushed the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic before emerging over the Atlantic Ocean. As the storm moved away from Hispaniola its movement became more northwesterly, following the edge of the subtropical ridge. Moving near the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bertha's circulation finally became better organized and banding features developing over its eastern periphery. At 14:00 UTC, Bertha made landfall on Middle Caicos Island with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h). Subsequent strengthening of upper-level outflow, decreased shear, increased mid-level humidity, and high sea surface temperatures enabled rapid intensification. Deep convection wrapped cyclonically into the storm and winds reached 65 mph (100 km/h) by 03:00 UTC on August 4. During the early part of August 4, structural organization began to degrade with convection becoming more limited in extent and banding features dissipating. The only factor aiding the storm was its well-defined outflow. However, despite the storm's ragged and weak appearance
caption: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
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