Recent work on the interaction of convection with large-scale flows suggests that a closure based on a presumed equilibrium surface enthalpy fluxes and input of low-entropy air into the subcloud layer by convective downdrafts works well in models of the tropical atmosphere. Such a convective representation is here used in a simple numerical tropical cyclone model. This further simplifies the model, while in many respects improving its performance. Abstract Recent work on the interaction of convection with large-scale flows suggests that a closure based on a presumed equilibrium surface enthalpy fluxes and input of low-entropy air into the subcloud layer by convective downdrafts works well in models of the tropical atmosphere. Such a convective representation is here used in a simple numerical tropical cyclone model. This further simplifies the model, while in many respects improving its performance.