Weather

Tropical Storm Bertha forms in the Atlantic after rapid upgrade

July 21, 2026, 12:03 AM UTC

National Hurricane Center

The National Hurricane Center upgraded a developing Atlantic system to Tropical Storm Bertha on July 20, 2026, less than 24 hours after designating it Tropical Depression Two.

The NHC classified the system as Tropical Depression Two on July 19, 2026, and began issuing 34-knot wind speed probability graphics that same day. Those graphics, which cover a 120-hour forecast window, were updated four times on July 19 at 14:55, 15:15, 15:21, and 21:22 GMT. Updates continued through July 20, with nine additional revisions recorded between 02:50 and 21:22 GMT.

Storm surge products followed as the system strengthened. The NHC issued a Storm Surge Watch/Warning Map on July 20 at 14:51 GMT, and a Potential Storm Surge Flooding Map at 16:01 GMT. Both maps were subsequently reissued under the Tropical Storm Bertha designation, with the surge flooding map published at 21:51 GMT and a graphics update for the named storm issued at 23:55 GMT.

The storm carries the Atlantic basin designation AT02 and the NHC tracking identifier AL022026.

Sources

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