Tropical Storm Bertha has weakened to a tropical depression after making landfall along the South Carolina coast bringing heavy rains.
Heavy rainfall will continue spreading across the Carolinas. It will stay cloudy today, keeping temperatures below average, in the mid to upper 70s. Scattered thunderstorms through the afternoon. Rainfall amounts will average 1-3 inches across the area.
Bertha surprised the South Carolina coast Wednesday, forming and making landfall within two hours, bringing a poor beach day of rain and gusty winds, but no major problems.
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Forecasters expected the bad weather but didn’t predict it to organize so quickly and become the second named storm before the official start of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.
Bertha was n amed around 8 a.m. Wednesday and was onshore east of Charleston by 9:30 a.m. The state Department of Natural Resources called it “a sunrise surprise.”Bertha is the second named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season.
This tropical moisture will move away late today, and we will see some sunshine each day through the rest of the week, but the chance for scattered late-day thunderstorms will continue into the weekend. It will warm up with temperatures back in the 80s starting Thursday. A cold front will move through early Sunday morning, pushing the rain offshore and slowly drying things out Sunday afternoon. Drier weather may move in next week.
Today, mostly cloudy and breezy with heavy rain and thunderstorms. Highs 78 inland, 76 beaches.
Tonight, mostly cloudy and breezy with scattered showers. Lows 66-68 inland, 70-72 beaches.
Thursday, partly sunny and warm with scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the low to mid 80s.
The storm is moving northwest at 9 mph and has sustained winds of 45 mph. This storm is expected to make landfall by 10 a.m. Wednesday morning near Charleston SC. Heavy rain and gusty winds will be likely with this system across the Grand Strand and Pee Dee. There is also a low end tornado threat and possibility for flash flooding today as we could see 1-2 inches of rain with pockets of higher amounts.
Count on News13 for updates.