As tributes continue following the death of country music legend Dolly Parton, forecasters are watching a tropical wave in the Atlantic that could become the fourth named storm of the 2026 hurricane season — and potentially be called Dolly.
According to a story at USA Today, the system has a 70% chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. If it strengthens enough, it could receive a name as early as Aug. 27.
The coincidence is purely a matter of timing. The name Dolly was selected for the 2026 storm list 30 years ago and has no connection to Parton, who died Aug. 25.
The National Hurricane Center says it has no plans to skip the name if the system develops. Storm names are assigned through a predetermined process overseen by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization.
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