Bertha continues to deepen rapidly. NHC has brought the winds up to 115 mph on the 5 pm update - a major hurricane. The wind estimate could still be conservative.
The forecast continues to call for a turn and recurve east of Bermuda. The turn is now very apparent of the satellite imagery. Bertha is moving northwest over the past several hours. Interests in Bermuda should follow the progress of Bertha.
Bertha is a smaller than average hurricane. This will help in terms of swell generation. Most people ( other than surfers ) do not appreciate large swell which can flood low lying areas and cause beach erosion. The smaller the wind field of the hurricane, the smaller the swell generation in general.
The next update will be early AM Tuesday.
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