The next tropical storm to form over the Atlantic Ocean will be named Dolly, but it’s not in honour of music legend Dolly Parton, who died on Tuesday from cancer complications at the age of 80.
It is a coincidence.
Atlantic storms are given names by the World Meteorological Organization, a methodical process designed to make dangerous weather systems easier for forecasters, emergency officials and the public to track.
Names are selected years in advance, alternating between female and male names, and are usually short, recognizable and easy to pronounce in the regions where they will be used.
The names on the list are arranged alphabetically and to date this season the storms have been named Arthur, which came ashore along the US Gulf Coast in June; Bertha, which brought heavy rain to Louisiana and Texas in July, and Cristobal, which developed in the Atlantic earlier in August before quickly falling apart.
The next name on the list is, eerily enough, Dolly.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is projecting a quieter-than-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year because of El Niño conditions, forecasting between eight and 14 named storms, including three to six hurricanes, meaning Category 3 strength or higher.
Currently, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has its eyes on an emerging system off the coast of Africa.
The area of thunderstorms south of the Cabo Verde Islands, which range from 600 to 850 kilometers off the west coast of Africa could gradually organize into a tropical depression within the next week, according to the Miami-based NHC. Observers described conditions as being somewhat favourable for additional development.
If the system strengthens enough to produce maximum sustained winds of at least 63 km/h, it will officially become Tropical Storm Dolly.
It is a coincidence, but a fitting one because Dolly took the music world by storm at the age of 20 and stayed there until her final day.
