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Tropical Storm Dolly has formed in the Atlantic, forecasted to be short-lived and unlikely to affect North Carolina.
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The tropical storm formed about 1,500 miles east of the Leeward Islands, around 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27.
“It is forecast to dissipate in the next four to five days before reaching the Leeward Islands, so in that sense, there is no threat of that in North Carolina,” said Tom Green, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Raleigh office during a routine weather briefing.
The maximum winds are near 40 miles per hour, and heavy rain could impact the Leeward Islands late Saturday and into Sunday, and the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola Sunday and Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center’s forecast.
The National Hurricane Center updated its 2026 Atlantic Hurricane season in early August with a 75% of a below-normal activity. Hurricane season begins June 1 and continues through Nov. 30, but we are getting closer to the peak.
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“Peak tropical development is usually the first week of September,” said Chrissy Anderson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Raleigh office, in a previous interview. “So we aren’t even close to peak season yet. So there’s still plenty of time. November 30th is the last day of tropical season, so there’s plenty of time for development in the Atlantic.”
No, the list of names for tropical storms are created by the World Meteorological Organization and recycled every six years unless a name is retired for being so deadly or costly, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal and, now, Dolly, have been used so far this season. Here are the rest of the names for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane season:
These storms are categorized based on wind speed, which helps predict potential property damage, The News & Observer previously reported. Danger from other hazards like flooding, storm surges and tornadoes are not factored into the storm’s categorization.
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According to the National Hurricane Center, storms are classified as:
Portions of this story were previously published in The News & Observer.
This story was originally published August 27, 2026 at 12:59 PM.