Tropical Storm Dolly formed in the central tropical Atlantic on Thursday morning, less than two days after country music queen Dolly Parton died. The storm’s name is purely coincidental.
There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but National Hurricane Center forecasters advised people in the Leeward Islands to monitor the storm’s progress.
“Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Dolly is forecast to degenerate into a tropical wave before it reaches the Leeward Islands,” the NHC said in its latest advisory.
The storm names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season are selected well in advance and are not chosen to honor specific people. The strict naming process is established by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Dolly is the fourth named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.
Where is Dolly, and what is its path?
According to the hurricane center’s latest advisory, as of 11 a.m. ET on Thursday:
Dolly was located about 1,555 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
It was moving west at 24 mph.
The biggest threats now
Starting late Saturday into Sunday, heavy rain from Dolly could begin affecting the Leeward Islands.
On Sunday and Monday, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola could also be affected by heavy rain.
It could produce flash flooding, especially in higher-elevation areas, the NHC said.
How are tropical cyclone names selected?
The WMO has developed different rules for naming tropical cyclones, depending on where they occur. Names are used to identify tropical cyclones because they’ve proven to be the fastest way to communicate warnings and raise public awareness of preparations. Naming storms also avoids confusion, especially when multiple storms are active.
For the Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere, cyclones are named alphabetically and alternate between men’s and women’s names.
These are the factors the WMO considers when selecting names:
Short names for ease of use in communication
Appropriate significance in different languages
Unique — same names cannot be used in other regions
How is the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season shaping up?
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintained their prediction for a below-normal season in the Atlantic basin, with seven to 13 total named storms expected, according to the Aug. 6 updated outlook. Of those named storms, two to six are forecast to become hurricanes, including up to two major hurricanes (considered Category 3, 4 or 5).
An average season has 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes, three of which are major.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season produced 13 named storms, including five hurricanes, four of which were major.
