Latest bulletin, tracking map at right, click to enlarge.
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM BERTHA ADVISORY NUMBER 1
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1100 PM AST THU JUL 31 2014
…TROPICAL STORM BERTHA DEVELOPS EAST OF THE SOUTHERN LESSER
ANTILLES… …TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS AND WATCHES ISSUED…
SUMMARY OF 1100 PM AST…0300 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————–
LOCATION…12.3N 55.5W
ABOUT 275 MI…445 KM ESE OF BARBADOS
ABOUT 385 MI…620 KM ESE OF ST. LUCIA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…45 MPH…75 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WNW OR 290 DEGREES AT 20 MPH…31 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1008 MB…29.77 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY…
THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF BARBADOS HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING FOR BARBADOS AND DOMINICA.
THE GOVERNMENT OF ST. LUCIA HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR ST. LUCIA.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PUERTO RICO…VIEQUES…
CULEBRA…AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.
THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF BARBADOS HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM
WATCH FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING COULD BE REQUIRED FOR MARTINIQUE FRIDAY
MORNING.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* BARBADOS
* ST. LUCIA
* DOMINICA
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* PUERTO RICO
* VIEQUES
* CULEBRA
* U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
* ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
[…]
DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
AT 1100 PM AST…0300 UTC…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.3 NORTH…LONGITUDE 55.5 WEST. BERTHA IS
MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MPH…31 KM/H…AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK…BERTHA IS EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR BARBADOS
FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND MOVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL LESSER ANTILLES FRIDAY EVENING.
REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE
THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH…75 KM/H…WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48
HOURS.
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES…75 KM
FROM THE CENTER.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1008 MB…29.77 INCHES.
Is this satire? I mean all BIG letters about “THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1008 MB…29.77 INCHES.” “MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH…75 KM/H…WITH HIGHER GUSTS”
REPLY: this is how these bulletins are produced, they are all caps for wire copy, easier to read on radio/TV. – Anthony
Pressure 1011 mb.
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/850hPa/overlay=mean_sea_level_pressure/orthographic=-36.70,16.57,635
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bertha
A better name would be Feeble Bertha?
Looking at
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/monitoring/nino3_4.png
Is Al Gore in the Pacific area? Send him to the Caribbean and Bertha will turn into a snowstorm?
In the Pacific we “only” have 1006 mb.
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/850hPa/overlay=mean_sea_level_pressure/orthographic=-109.18,15.62,635
Usually clicking on pictures at WUWT works for me. Not for this post. Nothing happens when I click on the picture.
Truthseeker
http://sirocco.accuweather.com/sat_mosaic_640x480_public/ei/isaehatl.gif
Doomed……
Say what? In 2005 we’d already had 10 TS / hurricanes by now.
Things really IS gettin’ worster!
This one will be bad as it has a girls name and as we have been told by those that get paid to study such things storms with girls names are worserer than those with boys names.
Santa Baby says: Loved your comment LOL
James Bull
No lower case on Teletypes – hence the all-caps.
Numerical data (since 1860s) show that there may be causal relationship between the major N. Atlantic events .
Otter, 2004’s hurricane season was terrible, but the first named storm wasn’t until July 31.
Baby Bertha, one of the Butt-sisters.
Parts of Puerto Rico could use the rain.
That’s why I’m beggin’ please
I am on my bended knees
Bertha don’t you come ’round here
Any more…
– Grateful Dead
Are we all going to die again?
I have been watching the formation of this for a couple of days now. I was surprised yesterday to see that they sent a hurricane hunter (USAF aircraft) to investigate a disturbance that wasn’t yet a named storm. I see that they have sent a second one. To me it seems that someone was desperate to get this thing classified as a named tropical storm before midnight. Otherwise. Only one named storm in July. When was the last time that happened? Also. Can one of the weather experts here explain why it is expected to swing north (it seems to have already started that swing) when then rest of the weather there seems to be tracking over Venezuela and Columbia?
Oh I remember the days of being first in the office and checking to see what reams of paper the teletype machines had dumped on the floor overnight – the all cap messages sent overnight from Asia and Europe. Now, by the time you get to the office you have reviewed and responded to the overnight emails (if you didn’t wake up in the night and decide to respond then.)
Seza says:
August 1, 2014 at 1:11 am
No lower case on Teletypes – hence the all-caps.
_____
The old teletypes were indeed all caps, but it would be amazing if NOAA is still using equipment that lacks lower case. It could be just tradition or, as our host says, something done for perceived ease of reading.
beng says:
August 1, 2014 at 5:27 am
Baby Bertha, one of the Butt-sisters.
————————————-
Thanks for the memory…..
***
Chris B says:
August 1, 2014 at 7:36 am
***
Thanks — I was hoping someone would get it….
beng says:
August 1, 2014 at 7:46 am
***
Chris B says:
August 1, 2014 at 7:36 am
***
Thanks — I was hoping someone would get it….
———————————
An hilarious early music video version. LOL
The upper case used in hazard warnings is an ASCII-type font. While National Weather Service offices can receive communications in other fonts, several members of the World Meteorological Organization apparently require only ASCII-type upper case font (see why that might be below). While the NWS wishes to move forward with mixed case, it currently is not able to until the entire world moves into the 21st century. An excerpt from the directive about mixed case versus capital case:
“2.1 Characters, Case, and Punctuation for Narrative Text. Narrative text uses upper case and only the following punctuation marks in the text: the period (.); the three dot ellipsis (…); the forward slash (/); the dash (-); and the plus (+). Use of other characters may inhibit the proper dissemination or automated processing by certain users’ systems.
The goal of the NWS is to move to mixed case letters with additional allowed punctuation in its text products, while maintaining current text rules in products that are under the purview of the WMO requirements listed in the document above or that are required under international or national agreements. Until such changes are officially announced via Public Information Statements, offices will abide by the rules in the paragraph above and in the following sections of this document.”
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nws.noaa.gov%2Fdirectives%2Fsym%2Fpd01017001curr.pdf&ei=m7HbU6j-G6HpiwKSwYCQBg&usg=AFQjCNHHdCJ6OqCm-iDtsrlURSSUqZITtQ&sig2=_5_aDlquQ-d6KRFBQK4Hkg&bvm=bv.72197243,d.cGE
As to why they must continue to use ASCII upper case, I am guessing it is because there are wire services still around that receive weather information via Teleprinter, not computer. It is the case that the internet is not available everywhere, but hard wire (IE telephone wire) is still available in more remote areas. And teleprinters handle hard wire information but only if sent using certain fonts.
Ergo, ASCII caps.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleprinter
Note that teleprinters do not use ASCII, but Baudot code, a five-bit code which allows only 32 characters.
What’s funny is I just listened to Bertha Butt Boogie on YouTube yesterday.