Tropical Storm Bertha is moving through the US Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring heavy rain and a life-threatening storm surge to the south-eastern United States, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm could cause flooding across Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi as it tracks west towards Texas, prompting watches and preparations, including sandbag distribution in New Orleans.

On Monday, Bertha was around 105 miles south of Panama City, Florida, with winds of 40mph, and forecasters warned it could strengthen before potentially making landfall near New Orleans by Wednesday. Some areas may see up to 8in of rain by Friday, with storm surges of 1-4ft along parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi coast and possible isolated tornadoes in Florida. Bertha is expected to weaken to a tropical depression by Thursday and could dissipate by the end of the week as it nears Texas; it is only the second named storm of the season after Tropical Storm Arthur.