The strongest wind and rain in Tropical Storm Bertha is spreading over Puerto Rico this afternoon as the poorly-organized storm moves off towards the northwest. Bertha currently has 50 MPH winds and is expected to slowly strengthen over the next few days as it heads away from the Caribbean.

Contrary to the NHC's latest position showing the center just off the southwestern coast of the island, based on radar imagery it looks like Bertha's center of circulation is sitting over western Puerto Rico as of 130PM EDT. Radar also shows the strongest winds — 45 to 55 MPH — sitting over the eastern side of the island.

Thanks in large part to the Bermuda High, Bertha will perform a classic curve back out to sea, taking it away from the contiguous United States and whisking away to the middle of nowhere, where it'll only be an issue for air and sea traffic.

The next advisory on Tropical Storm Bertha from the National Hurricane Center will come out at 5PM EDT. Fortunately, Bertha is the only thing going on in the Atlantic at the moment — the agency has no other areas pegged for possible development in the next five days.

[Images via GOES, Gibson Ridge, and the author]