Tropical Storm Bertha strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and was moving slowly toward the Florida Panhandle, causing a tropical storm warning and storm surge watches around the state line between Florida and Alabama, forecasters said.
The storm was about 125 miles (205 kilometers) south of Panama City, Florida, and 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Mobile, Alabama, and moving northwest at 2 mph (4 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), according to a 1 a.m. update by the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.
