Hurricane Bertha (2008) approach. On July 10, the Department of Parks placed high surf warning signs along the South Shore beaches as Bertha sent strong waves ahead of its path. Barricades were erected at all of the island's beaches, which were closed to swimming and watersports. All flights into and out of Bermuda were disrupted on July 14 as the storm made its final approach to the island. JetBlue and Delta Air Lines cancelled their flights while American Airlines executed its flights to Miami and New York a day early, escaping before the tropical storm arrived. British Airways delayed its flight to the
Hurricane Bertha (2008) 77 °F (25 °C), and its overall appearance was characterized by intermittent bursts of deep convection near the center. Eventually, by late on July 5, Bertha began to enter warmer waters and gain organization. Convection coalesced throughout July 6, and a series of microwave passes later that day indicated the formation of an eye-like feature, despite some tilt to Bertha's low- and mid-level circulations. Rapid deepening ensued as the aforementioned eye became readily apparent and convection in the eyewall cooled; Bertha became the season's first hurricane around 06:00 UTC on July 7, and by 21:00 UTC that afternoon, attained its