The National Hurricane Center in Miami released Forecast Advisory Number 12 for Tropical Storm Bertha at 9:00 a.m. UTC on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
As of that advisory, the storm’s center was located near coordinates 29.4 degrees north latitude and 88.3 degrees west longitude. The position is considered accurate within approximately 30 nautical miles.
Bertha is moving due west at a slow pace of about 4 knots. The storm’s minimum central pressure is estimated at 998 millibars, with maximum sustained winds of 45 knots — roughly 52 miles per hour — and gusts reaching up to 55 knots.
According to the forecast track, Bertha is expected to reach the Gulf Coast by Wednesday evening, with winds decreasing to 40 knots. By early Thursday morning, the storm is forecast to be moving along the Louisiana coast with winds down to 35 knots. The system is then projected to move over open water later Thursday before making landfall further inland, at which point it would be classified as post-tropical with winds around 30 knots.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts that Bertha will fully dissipate by the evening of Thursday, July 24, 2026.
The advisory was prepared by forecaster Papin. The next advisory was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. UTC Wednesday, with an intermediate public advisory expected at noon UTC.
Mariners within 300 miles of the storm’s center are being asked to submit reports every three hours to assist with tracking efforts.
