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The National Hurricane Center has designated an area of ​​storms developing in the Gulf of Mexico as a potential tropical cyclone.

If it’s not a tropical depression, hurricane, or typhoon, then what is it?

As its name suggests, a “potential tropical cyclone” is not exactly any of those things, but it is expected to arrive soon and, more importantly, is expected to pose a threat to land within 48 hours.

To be considered a tropical cyclone, a system must be fed by warm waters and have thunderstorms rotating in an unbroken circle around the system’s center, also known as a closed circulation.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One lacks a closed circulation, so it cannot yet be considered a tropical cyclone. It is expected that winds will increase and develop around the closed circulation soon.

With current sustained winds of 65 km/h, Potential Tropical Cyclone One will become Tropical Storm Alberto when this occurs.

This is because the winds around the storm’s centre of circulation determine its strength. A system becomes a tropical depression with sustained winds of up to 61 km/h, a tropical storm with sustained winds of 62 to 117 km/h, and a hurricane with sustained winds of 120 km/h or more.