Tropical Storm Dolly is racing west across the Atlantic today as hurricane season nears its peak and the biggest question for weather watchers is where the storm is headed next and whether any land areas could see impacts this weekend.
As of Friday morning, Dolly was located about 1,145 miles east of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. The storm is moving quickly westward at around 24 mph, a motion forecasters expect to continue through the next couple of days.
The good news is that forecasters do not expect Dolly to become a major threat. However, heavy rain remains possible for parts of the northeastern Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, as the system approaches the region late this weekend into early next week.
The National Hurricane Center said Friday morning that Tropical Storm Dolly was centered in the central Atlantic Ocean and moving rapidly westward with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph.
Dolly is the fourth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and remains far from the U.S. mainland.
Forecast models show Dolly continuing on a westward track toward the Leeward Islands through the weekend. The National Hurricane Center said, "Dolly is moving quickly toward the west near 24 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days."
According to the NHC forecast, "this system, or its remnants, should be nearing the Leeward Islands this weekend."
Forecasters say heavy rain from Dolly or its remnants could begin affecting portions of the Leeward Islands late Saturday into Sunday before spreading westward.
Puerto Rico is one of the key locations being monitored.
Current forecasts indicate rain associated with Dolly or its remnants could affect Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Sunday into Monday. The National Hurricane Center says "heavy rains from the storm or its remnants could affect the Leeward Islands late Saturday into Sunday, with possible impacts in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola."
At this time, forecasters are more concerned about rainfall than damaging winds. The NHC warns that the heavy rain "may produce flash flooding, especially in areas of higher terrain."
Current forecasts suggest that is unlikely.
The National Hurricane Center says little change in strength is expected during the coming days and forecasts Dolly to weaken as it approaches the Caribbean.
Forecasters at Fox Weather, citing unfavorable atmospheric conditions, report that increasing wind shear, dry air and Saharan dust are expected to weaken the storm. The outlet's forecast notes Dolly is expected to "degenerate into a tropical wave before it reaches the Leeward Islands."
AccuWeather meteorologists have similarly emphasized that environmental conditions are expected to limit significant strengthening as the storm moves west through the Atlantic. Forecast concerns are focused more on rainfall impacts than hurricane development.
If Dolly remains on its current forecast track, the system or its remnants should begin approaching the Leeward Islands late Saturday and Sunday before moving toward Puerto Rico and nearby islands by early next week.
Because the storm is moving at a relatively fast pace, forecasters expect any impacts to arrive quickly once the system nears the islands.
The latest forecast calls for Dolly to continue moving rapidly west across the Atlantic today and through the weekend while gradually weakening.
There are currently no coastal watches or warnings associated with Dolly, but forecasters urge residents across the northeastern Caribbean to monitor updates as the storm approaches.
Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist covering trending and breaking topics across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions for USA Today Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Where is Tropical Storm Dolly headed now? Latest tracker, path, forecast