The United States National Hurricane Center has raised the chances of two tropical systems developing in the coming days. Tropical Storm Dolly, which was the fourth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, lost strength rapidly and is now just a strong tropical wave producing rain and thunderstorms, moving west at about 25 miles per hour toward the northeastern Caribbean. Dolly's remnants have a 20% chance of reorganizing during the middle of the week, with the Gulf of Mexico as the most likely destination if development occurs, putting Florida on alert.
At the same time, a second area of low pressure located approximately 125 miles south of Louisiana is also being monitored, with a 30% chance of development over the next two to seven days. This system has been moving slowly west-northwest toward Texas. Neither of the two systems represents an immediate risk to South Florida at the moment, but meteorologists recommend that residents continue following NHC updates, especially with the approach of mid-September, the historically most active period of the season.
If Dolly's remnants reorganize sufficiently to receive a new name, the next one on the official list would be Edouard, following the sequence that already included Arthur, Bertha, and Cristobal. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity between mid-August and mid-October.
NOAA had reduced its forecast for 2026, projecting between 7 and 13 named storms, of which 2 to 6 could become hurricanes, while an average season usually registers 14 named storms and seven hurricanes. Experts explain that the reduced activity scenario is directly linked to the current El Niño, a phenomenon that increases wind shear over the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic, making it difficult for storms to organize in the region.
