Next Atlantic tropical storm will be called Dolly, unrelated to singer's death

Forecasters at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center are tracking a cluster of thunderstorms south of the Cabo Verde Islands that could organize into a tropical depression in the coming days. Should it achieve sustained winds of at least 39 mph, the system will receive the next name on the Atlantic list, Dolly, a designation that bears no connection to Dolly Parton's death earlier this week. Storm names are assigned by the World Meteorological Organization using six-year rotating lists that alternate male and female names and are reused unless retired for severe events, such as the Category 5 Hurricane Melissa from the 2025 season.

A separate, disorganized system northeast of Bermuda shows little chance of development. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects a below-average season because of El Niño, forecasting eight to fourteen named storms, three to six hurricanes, and one to three major hurricanes. Naming storms helps officials communicate warnings clearly and avoid confusion among the public.