WILLEMSTAD – Tropical Storm Dolly has formed over the Atlantic Ocean and is moving toward the Caribbean, but current projections indicate that the system will weaken into a tropical wave before reaching the islands.
For Curaçao, Dolly is currently expected to produce little or no significant wind. However, the resulting period of light winds could have implications for electricity production on the island.
Aqualectra relies partly on Curaçao’s wind farms for electricity generation. Prolonged low-wind conditions can reduce the amount of renewable electricity generated by the turbines, potentially increasing pressure on conventional generating capacity.
The situation is therefore being closely monitored as the system moves westward.
The potential effects could be different for the Windward Islands, where increased rainfall is expected as the system approaches the region. Heavy rainfall could result in localized flooding in vulnerable areas.
Current forecasts do not indicate a direct tropical-storm threat to Curaçao.
The naming of the storm as Dolly comes coincidentally shortly after the reported death of American country music icon Dolly Parton. The names assigned to Atlantic tropical storms are predetermined by the World Meteorological Organization and are unrelated to current events or individuals in the news.