The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has announced the formation of Tropical Storm Dolly in the central tropical Atlantic, which emerged early Thursday. The newly formed system is already on track to bring significant precipitation risks to multiple Caribbean islands over the coming weekend, even as forecasters predict it will weaken before reaching land.
As of the latest 11 a.m. advisory, the center of Tropical Storm Dolly sits roughly at 13.6 degrees north latitude and 38.7 degrees west longitude. The storm is currently tracking westward at a forward speed of 24 miles per hour, equal to 39 kilometers per hour. It carries maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h), with gusts reaching higher speeds, and the storm’s minimum central pressure is recorded at 1007 millibars. Tropical-storm-force winds extend as far as 60 miles (95 kilometers) outward from Dolly’s center.
Forecast projections from the NHC show that Dolly will maintain its westward trajectory over the next 48 hours. While little change in overall strength is expected in the short term, the system is predicted to degrade into a remnant tropical wave before it can approach the Leeward Islands, which it is expected to reach this weekend. Even though Dolly will no longer be classified as an organized tropical cyclone when it passes the island chain, the moisture carried by the system will still bring dangerous weather impacts.
The NHC warns that heavy rainfall will start impacting the Leeward Islands from late Saturday through Sunday. Precipitation will then spread to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola on Sunday and Monday. The greatest risk comes from potential flash flooding, which poses a particular hazard in elevated and mountainous areas across the affected region. Local authorities have advised all residents in the Leeward Islands to keep close track of updates on the storm’s progression as the weekend approaches.
An interesting side note has drawn public attention to the storm: Dolly formed just two days after the passing of legendary country music star Dolly Parton. However, the NHC clarified that the name Dolly was already pre-selected and added to the official 2026 Atlantic hurricane season naming roster long before the singer’s death, meaning the naming was purely coincidental.