At a Glance

Potential tropical cyclones are unnamed tropical systems that are or will produce 40 mph winds. This allows the National Hurricane Center to issue warnings before a system is otherwise named.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued advisories on potential tropical cyclones in 2017 for the first time ever.

Potential tropical cyclonesallow advisories to be issued on systems that have yet to developbut pose a threat of bringing tropical-storm-force or hurricane-force winds to land areas within48 hours.

This allows watches and/or warnings to be issued with more lead time.

June 2017'sPotential Tropical Cyclone Two and Potential Tropical Cyclone Three went on to become Tropical Storm Bret and Tropical Storm Cindy, respectively.

They are treated like tropical depressions, named storms and hurricanes even though they haven't officially developed.

The NHC produces a forecast projected path and , including a full discussion and the forecast advisory every six hours and, given watches and warnings issued, intermediate advisories three hours after each forecast advisory.

Forecast path and tropical storm warnings for Potential Tropical Cyclone Two issued on June 18. 2017. This system went on to become Tropical Storm Bret the next day.

According to James Franklin, former branch chief of the hurricane specialist unit at the NHC, "the likelihood of tropical-storm-force land impacts would be at least as important a consideration as the likelihood of tropical cyclogenesis."

Franklin described this update as an option for the NHC that will allow for more emphasis on impacts. The new option breaks down some of the barriers between certain categories and the ability to warn the public about potentially deadly impacts.

Systems that have achance of development anywhere in the Atlantic Basin will still be outlooked in the NHC's Tropical Weather Outlook product.

Those tropical disturbances, sometimes called invests,or areas of investigation, are given a forecast chance of formation for the next five days.This will still be tagged this season;however, systems that will likely impact land with a potentially deadly or damaging threat will be referred to as potential tropical cyclones.