Hurricane Bertha (2008) classified as a tropical depression by 06:00 UTC on July 3, located about 255 miles (410 km) south-southeast of Cabo Verde. The NHC noted that global modelling suggested the possibility of tropical development over a week prior, a "remarkable achievement" at the time. The storm's cloud pattern continued to coalesce, and it was upgraded to Tropical Storm Bertha six hours later. On the southern periphery of a mid-level ridge over the open Atlantic, Bertha moved swiftly west-northwest to northwest for several days. Despite being embedded within an environment of low vertical wind shear, the storm passed over ocean temperatures near
Hurricane Bertha (1996) Wrightsville Beach and Topsail Beach, North Carolina with winds of . Gradual weakening ensued the following day as Bertha moved up the Mid-Atlantic and into New England before becoming an extratropical cyclone on July 14. As Bertha passed through the northern Leeward Islands, it caused moderate to severe damage. In the United States Virgin Islands, heavy rainfall, hurricane-force winds, and significant property damage was reported. In addition, many boats were destroyed, and total damage was estimated near $7.5 million (1996 USD). In Puerto Rico, effects from Bertha were very similar to those in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Heavy rainfall was