Hurricane Bertha (2008) to its peak as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) late that afternoon. Changes in wind shear and the storm's internal structure allowed Bertha to fluctuate in intensity over the next week as it passed very near Bermuda, but a track over cooler waters eventually caused the system to become an extratropical cyclone by July 20. It continued northeast and was absorbed by another low near Iceland the following day. Rough surf propelled by Bertha killed three people along the East Coast of the United States; hundreds of other swimmers were injured and/or required rescuing.
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