Excerpt from yesterday's:

TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
201 PM EDT TUE JUL 08 2008

AT 500 HPA...AN ANTICYCLONE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS... CENTERED NEAR
33N 66W AT 24 HRS ENVELOPS THE AREA NORTH OF THE GREATER ANTILLES.
THROUGH 24-36 HRS THE RIDGE BECOMES NARROW AND ELONGATED EAST TO
WEST AS SHORT WAVE PERTURBATIONS EJECTING ACROSS THE EASTERN USA
THEN LIFTING OVER THIS RIDGE WILL ERODE THIS AXIS FROM THE NORTH.

BY 60-72 HRS THE ANTICYCLONE WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE NORTHERN
GULF OF MEXICO WITH A RIDGE AXIS EAST SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN BAHAMAS. A SECOND CELL OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE LIES
FARTHER EAST... WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING WEST FROM AFRICA ALONG 20N
EAST OF 50W. THIS RIDGE PERSIST OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC.

HURRICANE BERTHA LIES BETWEEN THESE RIDGES.

edit~ be extremly careful whern using the NHC storm headings. They are averaged over a 6 to 12 hour span and can be very misleading.
Remember Charley of 2004. Headings were just west of due North,toward the NNW and Charley was making a perfect right turn into Punta Gorda,FL. ~danielw