Tropical Storm Dolly Forms
The fourth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season has formed with 40mph winds, coincidentally sharing its name with the late country music star Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday at 80
The next Atlantic tropical storm has been named Dolly, but its naming is coincidental and not related to the recent death of country music star Dolly Parton. The storm is the fourth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
Tropical Storm Dolly formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was located about 1,555 miles east of the Leeward Islands. The National Hurricane Center was monitoring a weather system off Africa that may strengthen into a named tropical storm.
The World Meteorological Organisation maintains rotating lists of storm names that are reused every six years. The lists are alphabetical and alternate between male and female names. This season started with Tropical Storm Arthur coming ashore on the US Gulf Coast in June, and Tropical Storm Bertha dumped rain in Louisiana and Texas in July.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast a below-average Atlantic hurricane season due to El Niño. The agency forecast eight to 14 named storms, with three to six reaching hurricane strength and one to three escalating into major hurricanes.
## Why it matters The naming of the storm is not related to Dolly Parton's death, which occurred on Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer. Dolly Parton was a country music legend known for her genre-defining hits, including 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You, and Jolene. The storm's naming is a coincidence, and the World Meteorological Organisation's procedures for naming storms are designed to make weather warnings easier to communicate and reduce confusion when several systems are active at the same time.
The Atlantic hurricane season has so far produced three named storms, and the National Hurricane Center is monitoring other weather systems that could develop into named storms. The formation of Tropical Storm Dolly is a reminder that the hurricane season is ongoing, and residents in affected areas should remain vigilant and follow weather updates closely.
