The next tropical storm to form in the Atlantic this hurricane season will be called Dolly, but the name is simply the next one on a long-established list — not a reference to any current event involving Dolly Parton.
Tropical storm names are assigned under rules set by the World Meteorological Organization. In the Atlantic basin, the names are arranged alphabetically, alternate between male and female names, and are recycled every six years unless a name is retired.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season opened with Tropical Storm Arthur, which moved ashore along the U.S. Gulf Coast in June. Tropical Storm Bertha followed in July, bringing heavy rain to parts of Louisiana and Texas, while Tropical Storm Cristobal formed over the Atlantic earlier in August before quickly weakening.
Now, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are watching a weather disturbance off the coast of Africa that could become the season’s next named storm.
The Miami-based hurricane center said early Wednesday that environmental conditions were somewhat favorable for a cluster of thunderstorms south of the Cabo Verde Islands to organize into a tropical depression sometime within the next week.
If the system continues to strengthen and reaches maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph), it would officially become Tropical Storm Dolly.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has projected a below-average Atlantic hurricane season, largely because of El Nino. NOAA’s outlook calls for eight to 14 named storms, including three to six hurricanes, with one to three of those potentially becoming major hurricanes.
The NHC and other meteorological agencies use storm names to make forecasts, watches and warnings easier for the public to follow and to reduce confusion when multiple systems are active. According to the WMO, names are selected because they are short, familiar and easy to pronounce in the regions where they are used. The organization reviews the lists regularly and retires names when storms are especially deadly, destructive or otherwise sensitive.
One name from the 2025 season was retired, Melissa, which was a Category 5 hurricane that brought devastation to the Caribbean.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
