An
Atlantic hurricane or
tropical storm is a
tropical cyclone that forms in the
Atlantic Ocean, usually in the summer or fall. Tropical cyclones can be categorized by intensity.
Tropical storms have one-minute maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph (34 knots, 17 m/s, 63 km/h), while
hurricanes have one-minute maximum sustained winds
exceeding 74 mph (64 knots, 33 m/s, 119 km/h). Most North Atlantic
tropical storms and hurricanes form between June 1 and November 30. The
United States National Hurricane Center monitors the basin and issues reports, watches, and warnings about
tropical weather systems for the North Atlantic Basin as one of the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centers for
tropical cyclones, as defined by the
World Meteorological Organization.