Bertha winds down as Hurricane Elida churns in the Pacific

Hurricane Elida is turning its eye towards Mexico’s west coast while Tropical Storm Bertha crawls towards Bermuda, reports the National Hurricane Center (NHC).Bertha was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm status on July 13, as its winds had diminished to a sustained 100 km-h, reported the NHC. The storm is passing roughly 40 km north-northeast of Bermuda, bringing three to five inches of rain, tropical storm force winds and waves up to 18 feet, AIR Worldwide said in an advisory.”The storm is now expected to take a turn and meander eastward,” said Justin Cox, research scientist and meteorologist at AIR Worldwide. “The large swells and high surf conditions affecting Bermuda now are expected to continue for a day or two, but damage from the storm should be minimal.”In the Pacific, as of the morning of July 14, Hurricane Elida, a Category one storm, was located 615 kilometres south of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico and 785 kilometres south of Baja, California, the NHC reports.”Elida is moving towards the west near 22 km-h and this motion is expected to continue over the next two days,” the NHC public advisory says. “Maximum sustained winds are near 130 km-h with higher gusts. A slight increase in strength is possible over the next couple of days.”Storm Exchange, Inc. a weather-risk management services firm, reaffirmed its forecast of a more-active-than-normal season in its July 10 forecast update, but slightly reduced the number of storms from its earlier forecast.The latest forecast predicts between 12 and 14 named storms overall, with six to eight hurricanes and two to four becoming intense (Category 3 or higher). According to the firm, there is an 82% chance of U.S. landfall, a 49% chance of intense hurricane, and a 53% chance of a hurricane in the Gulf region.