Tropical Depression Two, located in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Bertha later on Monday, marking the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the depression was approximately 100 miles south of the eastern Florida Panhandle on Monday morning, with maximum sustained winds increasing to 35 mph.
A tropical storm is defined as a tropical cyclone with sustained winds between 39 and 73 mph. A Tropical Storm Watch is currently in effect for the Gulf Coast from the Ochlockonee River in the Florida Panhandle to the Mississippi-Alabama border, signaling the potential for tropical storm conditions to develop by Tuesday.
The NHC also cautioned about possible storm surge along the immediate coast in the watch area, with heights potentially reaching 1 to 3 feet. The current forecast indicates that Tropical Depression Two will move slowly northwest along the northern Gulf Coast over the next several days.
There remains some uncertainty regarding Bertha's precise track after it forms. Forecasters suggest that if the system remains weaker and moves inland sooner, the heaviest rainfall could spread further inland across the Southeast. Conversely, if the storm strengthens and stays over the Gulf longer, the heaviest rain might remain closer to the coast before shifting westward along the Gulf Coast later in the week, potentially impacting the Middle Texas Coast by the end of the week.
Regardless of the storm's exact track and intensity, forecasters are confident that the system will bring periods of heavy rain to the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend regions as it passes. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are anticipated through the middle of the week, with isolated areas possibly experiencing higher amounts.