Beyond Belief
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2005
- Messages
- 14,496
- Reaction score
- 91
Tropical Storm Bertha is here. Overnight, a significant amount of heavy thunderstorm activity built up around the center, aided by Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) about 26°C (1°C above average for this date). This temperature is right at the threshold of where tropical storms can form. Also aiding the storm is 5-10 knots of wind shear. Bertha has good organization and a favorable environment for intensification, and should continue to slowly intensify today. There is not much African dust or dry air near the storm, and the main impediment to future intensification will be a region of colder SSTs the storm will track over on Friday and Saturday. These cooler SSTs have created some stable air to the northwest of Bertha. Evidence of this stable air in satellite imagery (Figure 1) can be seen in the form of a large area of stratocumulus clouds to the northwest of Bertha.
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=973&tstamp=200807
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=973&tstamp=200807