TAMPA - Hurricane Bertha weakened significantly today, dropping from a Category 3 storm to a Category 1 hurricane between morning and afternoon.
The storm's winds dropped from about 120 mph to just over 80 mph in 12 hours and forecasters at the National Hurricane Center say even that strength may not last long.
Forecasts have Bertha dropping below hurricane strength possibly as early as Wednesday with winds of less than 70 mph and maintaining that intensity the next five days.
The storm, forecasters said, has finally run into less hospitable conditions that Bertha was expected to encounter.
Shear has increased as the storm makes its turn toward the north and the open ocean. Also, the storm is finally moving over cooler water that will sap its strength, or at least keep it from growing.
The storm is slowing because the steering currents are becoming weaker and the hurricane center says the storm may slowly wander about later in the week.
A slight strengthening of an area of low pressure that will replace a weakening area of high pressure in the western Atlantic Ocean is expected to eventually pull Bertha more toward the north.
However, the erratic movement is why forecasters still don't rule out some impact on Bermuda. By Sunday afternoon, forecasters expect Bertha to have passed to the east of the island and begin a slight turn to the northeast that would take the season's first hurricane farther out to sea.
Bertha surprised forecasters by reaching Category 3 status on Monday. Category 3 hurricanes have winds of 111-130 mph. Forecasters had expected it to peak at a Category 2 storm sometime late Monday or today.
They also did not expect Bertha to so quickly lose its punch, an indication, the hurricane center said, of how difficult it is for forecasts to capture quick intensity changes.
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