Tropical Depression Eight strengthened to Tropical Storm Gert on Sunday afternoon.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Gert was located at latitude 28.1°N and longitude 71.7°W which put it about 505 miles (810 km) west-southwest of Bermuda.  Gert was moving toward the north-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1011 mb.

The structure of Tropical Storm Gert improved on Sunday.  Numerous bands of showers and thunderstorms developed and began to rotate around the center of circulation.  The thunderstorms began to produce upper level divergence which was pumping out mass in all directions.  The circulation of Tropical Storm Gert became more circular and symmetrical.

Tropical Storm Gert will move through an environment that will be favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Gert will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C.  The upper level winds over Tropical Storm Gert are weak and there is not much vertical wind shear.  There is an upper level ridge northwest of Tropical Storm Gert and the ridge is producing northeasterly winds west of Bermuda.  So, the vertical wind shear could increase when Gert moves farther north.  Tropical Storm Gert will continue to intensify during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Gert is moving around the western end of the subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean.  The high is steering Gert toward the north-northwest and a northerly motion is  expected to continue for another 24 hours.  When Gert moves west of Bermuda, it will start to encounter the westerly winds in the middle latitudes.  Those winds should turn Tropical Storm Gert toward the northeast in a day or so.  On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Gert is expected to move east of the U.S. and west of Bermuda.