The next Atlantic storm will be named Dolly, but it’s not connected to Parton’s death

The upcoming Atlantic storm will be named Dolly, but there is no connection to Dolly Parton’s passing. The naming of storms follows a procedure established by the World Meteorological Organization, with the lists of names being reused every six years. This season’s list alternates between male and female names, with the first storm being Tropical Storm Arthur, which made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast in June, followed by Tropical Storm Bertha in July.

The National Hurricane Center has been monitoring a weather system off Africa that may become a named tropical storm in the coming week. If the winds reach at least 39 mph (63 kph), the system would be named Tropical Storm Dolly. However, another weather system far northeast of Bermuda is disorganized and has a low chance of further development.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a below-average Atlantic hurricane season due to El Nino. They forecast eight to 14 named storms, with three to six becoming hurricanes and one to three of those intensifying to major hurricanes. The purpose of naming storms is to facilitate clear communication of warnings to the public and prevent confusion.

The WMO selects names that are short, easy to pronounce, and familiar to the regions where they are used, occasionally retiring names due to sensitivity, particularly for storms that are deadly or destructive.