MIAMI, FL — The next Atlantic storm to earn a name would be Dolly if the current system strengthens, and forecasters say the timing is only a coincidence. The name is drawing attention because it matches country music star Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80.
Weather officials stress that storm naming follows long-established international procedures and has nothing to do with the singer’s death. The National Hurricane Center was tracking a cluster of thunderstorms south of the Cabo Verde Islands late Tuesday, and conditions were considered favorable for it to organize into a tropical depression within the next week.
What Forecasters Are Watching
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the system off Africa could keep strengthening if it maintains organized convection and wind patterns. If it reaches tropical storm status with sustained winds of at least 63 kph, or 39 mph, it would become Tropical Storm Dolly. Another Atlantic disturbance far northeast of Bermuda was also being watched, but forecasters said it looked disorganized and had only a poor chance of developing.
The Atlantic hurricane season has already produced several named storms. Tropical Storm Arthur came ashore on the U.S. Gulf Coast in June, Tropical Storm Bertha dropped rain on Louisiana and Texas in July, and Tropical Storm Cristobal formed and then quickly faded in August.
How Storm Names Are Chosen
Storm names in the Atlantic are assigned through a system set by the World Meteorological Organization, which reuses lists every six years. In this region, the names run alphabetically and alternate between male and female names so warnings are easier to communicate and less likely to be confused.
The WMO says the names are meant to be short, easy to say, and familiar to the areas where they are used. The organization reviews the lists regularly and can retire names, especially after deadly or destructive storms that make reuse inappropriate.
Season Outlook And Potential Impact
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has already projected a below-average Atlantic hurricane season because of El Niño. NOAA’s forecast calls for eight to 14 named storms, with three to six hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes among them.
For now, the possible Dolly remains a developing system rather than a threat with a clear track or intensity. Even so, the monitoring shows how quickly conditions in the Atlantic can change, and why forecasters are closely watching systems near West Africa during the height of hurricane season.
When the weather turns dangerous, SVH Snow is watching.
