Tropical Storm Dolly forms, battling brewing Super El Niño's hostile conditions in the Atlantic

Barchart·08/27/2026 09:40:05

TAKE AWAY:

Tropical Storm Dolly has formed in the Atlantic Ocean after struggling to develop over the past few days as it battled the hostile conditions produced by the inhibiting El Niño climate pattern. 

LATEST FROM FOX WEATHER HURRICANE SPECIALIST BRYAN NORCROSS

Tropical Storm Dolly has sustained winds of 40 mph, with the National Hurricane Center set to issue its first advisory at 11 a.m.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, Dolly's status is expected to be short-lived as it will once again be taken over by hostile conditions in the Atlantic driven by an intensifying El Niño cycle on Friday.

As a result, the storm should weaken into a depression or a gusty moisture surge.

BREWING SUPER EL NIÑO EXPECTED TO BE STRONGEST ANYONE ALIVE ON THE PLANET HAS EVER EXPERIENCED

El Niño is typically associated with reduced tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin and increased storm activity in the Eastern and Central Pacific basins, along with a host of other weather impacts around the world outside of hurricane season.

This is a pattern we've already seen so far this year. 

The latest forecast has the squally weather reaching the northeastern Caribbean islands on Sunday, followed by Puerto Rico on Monday.

"Everyone there should stay aware of the latest information on the system, just in case something unexpected happens," FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross said.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Later next week, some long-range models continue to show a low chance for the system’s remnants to reorganize north of the islands. However, model agreement remains limited, with potential scenarios ranging from the central Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico.

Stick with FOX Weather for the latest updates across the tropics.