The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued Forecast Advisory Number 9 for Tropical Storm Bertha at 3:00 p.m. UTC on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
As of that advisory, the storm’s center was located near latitude 29.3 North, longitude 86.3 West, with the position considered accurate within about 30 nautical miles. Bertha was moving toward the north-northwest at just 3 knots — a very slow pace — and had a minimum central pressure of 995 millibars.
Maximum sustained winds were measured at 50 knots, with gusts reaching up to 60 knots at the time of the advisory.
According to the forecast, Bertha is expected to maintain winds near 50 knots through Tuesday night, then gradually weaken as it drifts westward. By Wednesday evening, the storm is forecast to be near the coast with maximum sustained winds dropping to around 40 knots. The system is expected to continue weakening, with winds falling to 35 knots by Thursday morning and 30 knots by Thursday evening as it moves over water near the western Gulf Coast.
By Friday morning, the storm is forecast to be inland with winds down to 25 knots. The extended outlook calls for Bertha to become a post-tropical system by Saturday, July 25, and to fully dissipate by Sunday, July 26.
Forecasters noted that track errors for extended outlooks average around 125 nautical miles on Day 4 and 175 nautical miles on Day 5, with intensity errors averaging about 15 knots per day.
The advisory was prepared by Forecaster Reinhart. The next full advisory was scheduled for 9:00 p.m. UTC Tuesday, with an intermediate public advisory expected at 6:00 p.m. UTC.
