Tropical disturbances and tropical depressions are the two lowest classifications on the South Pacific version of the Australian scale.
[1] The basin is officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service and the New Zealand MetService, while other meteorological services such as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Météo-France as well as the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center also monitor the basin.
[1] Within the region a tropical disturbance is classified as a non-frontal system that originates over the tropics and either has enhanced atmospheric convection or some indications of cyclonic wind circulation.
[1] A tropical disturbance is subsequently classified as a tropical depression or a tropical low, when there is a clearly defined circulation and the maximum 10-minute average wind speed is less than 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph; 17 m/s) near the centre.
[1] Tropical Cyclone Raquel (2014) developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone, as it moved out of the region and into the Australian Region.