World News
Next Atlantic storm to be named Dolly in scheduling coincidence with Parton's death
Forecasters emphasize that the storm name is based on a pre-determined, rotating list managed by the World Meteorological Organization.
The short version
- The next tropical storm to develop in the Atlantic during the 2026 hurricane season will be named Dolly, which forecasters note is a pure coincidence following the death of singer Dolly Parton.
- The National Hurricane Center is currently tracking a weather system south of the Cabo Verde Islands that could develop into a tropical depression within the next week.
- If the system's maximum sustained winds reach at least 39 mph, it will officially be named Tropical Storm Dolly.
Key facts
- Storm systems in the Atlantic are named alphabetically, alternating between male and female names, using a predetermined list managed by the World Meteorological Organization that is reused every six years.[Associated Press]
- The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a weather system off Africa, located south of the Cabo Verde Islands, that has favorable conditions to become a tropical depression within the next week.[Associated Press]
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast a below-average Atlantic hurricane season owing to El Nino, anticipating 8 to 14 named storms and 3 to 6 hurricanes.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- Whether the monitored weather system off Africa will successfully strengthen to reach the 39 mph wind threshold required to become Tropical Storm Dolly remains to be seen.[Associated Press]