Tropical Storm Dolly forms in the Atlantic

On Tuesday, the world mourned the loss of the legendary music icon, Dolly Parton. Just two days later, a tropical disturbance defied headwinds to evolve into a tropical storm. Coincidentally, the next name on the Atlantic storm list was Dolly.

Here’s the story behind this unexpected meteorological coincidence.

The Atlantic hurricane season spans from June 1 to November 30, with late August through September being a prime period for storm development. This is when ocean temperatures are at their highest, supplying abundant energy for storm formation. Additionally, it is the time when winds that could disrupt storms are generally at their weakest.

On supporting science journalism

If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

A particularly strong El Nino has limited Atlantic storm activity this season, meaning we are still early in the 2026 alphabetical list of storm names created by the World Meteorological Organization. There are six lists rotated annually, with names replaced when storms are notably destructive or intense.

In its forecast discussion, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) remarked, “The timing of the use of the name Dolly for this storm is purely coincidental,” which is an unusual comment regarding a storm’s name.

The name “Dolly” has been on one of the hurricane name lists since 1953, the first year storms were named from NHC lists—when Dolly Parton was just seven. Initially, only female names were used. In 1979, the lists began alternating between male and female names. Dolly was removed from the lists before being reinstated in 1990 and was first used for a storm in 1996. (Fun fact: In the western Pacific, typhoons—which are the same as hurricanes but use a different term—are named after national symbols, local animals, and features of affected countries.)

While Dolly Parton had a significant impact worldwide, including efforts to promote childhood literacy and fund a COVID vaccine, Storm Dolly is expected to have minimal impact. Wind shear is likely to prevent the storm from strengthening and will eventually dismantle it before it reaches the Leeward Islands.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.