MY SPECIAL MESSAGES (THURSDAY JULY 23 2026 8:12 AM EDT)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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• I have continued my pause on daily updates on the Atlantic tropics on this site despite the start of the 2026 Atlatnic Hurricane season on June 1 due to personal life challenges and relative calm of the Atlantic tropics. I hope to resume daily updates soon. In the meantime refer to the National Hurricane Center (hurricanes.gov) for up to the minute latest information on Atlantic tropical activity.

• Meanwhile the following remarks apply to Tropical Storm Bertha that has been affecting the northern Gulf of America region this week:​​​​

  • Bertha formed from the third tropical Atlantic area of interest of the season that the National Hurricane Center has been tracking since July 15, which formed as a surface trough then surface low in the northeastern Gulf of America triggered then supported by split flow upper divergence between a decaying upper vortex to the southeast and heat wave air mass upper ridge over the United States.

  • Track History - The system became tropical depression two on July 19 afternoon then Tropical Storm Bertha 24 hours later, and has been slowly lumbering northwest then west across the far northern Gulf of America region while caught in week steering between the Atlantic surface ridge to the east and weak mid-latitude surface ridges to the north being generated in upper convergence zones behind passing frontal systems

  • Wind/Coastal Surf History - Bertha reached peak intensity of 60 mph maximum sustained winds before its center interacted with the Louisiana coast and re-weakened to 45 mph maximum sustained winds, other factors hampering strengthening include northeasterly shear imparted by the southeast side of the ongoing United States warm air mass upper ridge which has kept the thunderstorm activity and heavy rainfall offshore, however gusty winds and coastal surf have been hazards along the United States Gulf coast from Texas to the Florida panhandle.

  • Future Outlook for Today - Bertha's center has re-generated offshore of the south-facing Louisiana coast toward a sheared-off thunderstorm complex this morning, and while continuing west is heading toward lower shear closer to the upper ridge core and re-strengthening cannot be ruled out before Texas landfall. Hazards for coastal and southern Texas today will be coastal surf, gusty winds, and potential for flash flooding heavy rainfall spreading onshore.​​​​