ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Depression Two has officially formed in the northern Gulf and is tracking towards the Mississippi Delta.
The system has become organized enough on Sunday morning for official tropical designation. It is expected to continue to strengthen over the next 24 to 48 hours.
The water temperatures in this location range from the mid- to upper-80s, providing tropical depression with plenty of warm water to develop into a tropical storm.
Once named, this storm will be called Tropical Storm Bertha.
Models push the storm westward, allowing it to strengthen in the Gulf. Most keep it at moderate tropical storm strength with winds up to 60 mph.
Landfall appears most likely south of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. This means the heaviest rain will be in that region, including southern Mississippi.
Rainfall totals could exceed 6 to 7 inches for isolated areas along the Gulf Coast.
Impacts in Central Florida will be minimal with moisture pushed west, feeding the system as it moves away. This will result in dry conditions most of the week.
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