The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service has issued an updated tropical cyclone information statement Thursday afternoon, confirming that former tropical disturbance AL96 has officially strengthened into Tropical Storm Dolly. As of 3:00 p.m. Eastern Caribbean Time (ECT) on August 27, 2026, the newly named storm is currently churning across the central waters of the tropical North Atlantic, and forecasters project it will almost certainly break apart before it can reach the island chains of the Eastern Caribbean.
According to the official forecast released by the service, Dolly is on track to dissipate within 48 hours, roughly 300 miles east of Antigua and Barbuda by Saturday. Even in the most pessimistic reasonable worst-case scenario outlined by meteorologists, the system would only reach the islands as a weak, minimal tropical storm. At this stage, the risk of damaging wind impacts and disruptive heavy rainfall from Dolly across the region remains very low, and officials have not called for any immediate emergency preparatory action from residents. Moderate risk of elevated, potentially hazardous ocean swells does remain in place, however, and coastal communities have been advised to stay alert to changing conditions.
Residents across the Leeward Islands and British Virgin Islands are encouraged to continue monitoring official updates for any shifts in the storm’s track or intensity. Forecasters also used the update to remind the public that the Atlantic hurricane season is still ongoing, and all households in hurricane-prone areas should maintain baseline preparedness to respond to future systems.
Meteorological data pegged Dolly’s center at approximately 1,550 miles east-southeast of Antigua and Barbuda and the broader Leeward Islands as of 11:00 a.m. ECT (1500 UTC) Thursday. The storm is currently tracking westward at a forward speed of roughly 24 miles per hour, with maximum sustained winds clocked at near 40 miles per hour – the minimum threshold for classification as a tropical storm. Over the coming 48 hours, forecasters expect little significant change in Dolly’s strength, before the system degenerates into a disorganized tropical wave well before it can reach the Leeward Islands, which would put its closest approach sometime between Saturday and Sunday.
As of the publication of this statement, no tropical cyclone watches, warnings, or alerts are currently in effect for any part of the monitored region. Officials noted that an update to alert status could be required later Thursday if conditions change unexpectedly. The next scheduled public update from the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service is set for approximately 2:00 p.m. local time Friday, with an earlier release planned if urgent changes to the forecast emerge. The statement was issued by lead forecaster Dale Destin.