On 31 July 2014, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) produced a weather outlook on the development of Tropical Storm Bertha east of the southern Lesser Antilles. Tropical Storm warnings and watches were in effect for many of the islands of the Lesser Antilles.

By 1500 UTC on 1 August 2014, Bertha was located about 70 miles (110 km) northeast of Barbados with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h). Later that day, the 2100 UTC weather outlook reported the centre of Bertha passing near the northern end of Martinique with maximum sustained winds still at 50 mph (85 km/h).