MIAMI — As of Friday morning, Dolly is currently a weak tropical storm with winds around 40 mph. It’s having trouble building strong thunderstorms near its center, because the surrounding air is dry, although some new thunderstorms have formed on its southern side.
Dolly is moving quickly westward and is expected to continue toward the Leeward Islands over the next couple of days.
For now, it could strengthen a little, but conditions are expected to get worse starting Friday afternoon. Strong winds higher up in the atmosphere, dry air, and its fast movement should cause Dolly to weaken into an open tropical wave by Friday night or Saturday.
What this means for the Caribbean:
- Leeward Islands: Heavy rain is possible late Saturday into Sunday, with a risk of flash flooding, especially in mountainous areas.
- Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola: Heavy rain could reach these areas Sunday into Monday.
- Dolly is not currently expected to remain a strong tropical storm by the time it reaches the islands, but they could experience tropical storm force wind gusts.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
In May, NOAA predicted a below-average hurricane season this year, aided by forecasts of a strong El Niño suppressing tropical activity in the Atlantic Basin.
The peak of hurricane season is around Sept. 10.
This serves as a reminder that now is an excellent time to review your hurricane plan, check your emergency supplies, and make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather alerts.
The WPTV First Alert Weather Team will continue to monitor the tropics around the clock and provide updates if any system begins to show signs of becoming a concern for South Florida.
Hurricane season starts runs through Nov. 30.
