Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall east of Charleston, South Carolina

According to the National Hurricane Center, radar imagery indicates that the area of disturbed weather became significantly better organized Wednesday morning.

A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the coast of South Carolina from Edisto Beach to South Santee River.

2020 hurricane season: This year’s storm name list

Recent data from NOAA and CORMP buoys show that maximum sustained winds increased to near 50 mph before landfall.

The center of Bertha will move onshore in the warning area in the next few hours and then move inland across eastern and northern South Carolina later Wednesday and into west-central North Carolina by Wednesday night.

2020 Atlantic hurricane season forecast calls for ‘above-normal’ tropical activity

Bertha is expected to produce total rain accumulation of 2 to 4 inches with isolated totals of 8 inches across eastern and central South Carolina into west central to far southeastern North Carolina and southwest Virginia. The rainfall may produce life-threatening flash flooding.

Hurricane Season doesn’t officially begin until June 1.

It’s rare to have two named storms prior to May 27. Since 1851, only 4 other years (1887, 1908, 1951 and 2012) had two named storms before the start of the season.