meteorological history meteorological history spanned days beginning inception tropical wave africa june terminating dissipation july north_america wave dennis emerged atlantic_ocean june moved west dry air initially development wave able consolidate tropical depression july depression soon crossed entering caribbean_sea increasingly favorable environmental factors low wind shear high sea surface temperatures fueled intensification turning west northwest system achieved tropical storm status july hurricane status following day formation defined eye central dense overcast signaled dennis intensification major hurricane powerful storm soon struck cuba category early july violent winds battered province caused extensive damage paralleling western coast cuba dennis attained peak winds mph later day making second landfall country time interaction mountains cuba caused significant weakening dennis emerged gulf_of_mexico july able quickly hurricane reached category strength time july approached florida weakening somewhat striking state dramatic weakening ensued cyclone moved ashore dennis tropical depression remnant low roughly week traversing finally dissipating ontario july origins june national_hurricane_center nhc began monitoring tropical wave inland africa feature tracked observations nations days analyzed surface feature june western accompanied scattered convection shower thunderstorm activity westward moving system featured cyclonic flow emerged atlantic_ocean early june conflicting observations tracking wave difficult surface observations revealing clear shift wind direction upper level showing change regardless exact position system accompanying convection soon diminished system ill defined june system grew significantly multiple low level developed broader cyclonic envelope weather models time depicted low probability tropical cyclogenesis subsequent days gradual development ensued following days broad circulation initially remained largely devoid convection dry air associated air layer distinct low level centers apparent july overall system progressed west surface observations windward_islands depicted broad circulation satellite animations failed defined center classification tropical cyclone westernmost centers moved islands early july lost organization soon banding features developed eastern circulation day consolidating mbar hpa inhg low later july upper level outflow feature provides thermal ventilation tropical cyclones allows development increasingly prominent continued organization nhc classified system tropical depression utc time situated east intensification cuban embedded deep east southeasterly flow periphery subtropical ridge depression moved rapidly west northwest course soon landfall utc july maximum sustained winds mph entering caribbean_sea deep convection system environmental conditions ahead depression favored intensification hurricane little wind shear analyzed roughly mph average high sea surface temperatures present path based satellite intensity estimates obtained dvorak technique depression assessed tropical storm utc july accordingly nhc assigned dennis time marked earliest formation season fourth named storm record later surpassed tropical storm named june july convection steadily consolidated system acquired northerly component track hurricane_hunters investigating dennis found steadily falling barometric pressures indicative intensification utc observation aircraft indicated dennis achieved hurricane strength central pressure mbar hpa inhg flight level winds mph measured central dense overcast soon hurricane center microwave satellite imagery depicted closed defined mid level eye point factor development interaction mountains hispaniola jamaica dennis developed unusually prominent outflow especially western location time year weak trough mid atlantic rapid intensification ensued july dennis turned northwest tracked defined eye formed hurricane central dense overcast evening dennis achieved major hurricane status utc category status utc july approached southern cuba abbreviated eyewall replacement cycle likely took place period eye expanded diameter reconnaissance flying storm reported flight level winds mph based dennis estimated reached initial peak surface winds mph utc dennis briefly moved cuba center crossing coast near close cabo violent destructive winds battered province weather station reported sustained winds mph gust mph destroyed interaction land caused slight weakening dennis soon emerged region shallow warm waters fueled abrupt reorganization hurricane traveled western spine archipelago islands category strength winds paralleling coast cuba dennis attained peak winds mph utc july hurricane_hunters observed flight level winds mph pressure mbar hpa inhg time value indicated surface winds category strength yielded slightly lower winds pressure wind relationship method aforementioned peak strength chosen accordingly compromise conflicting data eyewall replacement cycle took place soon peak slight weakening ensued utc dennis second landfall cuba near winds mph gust mph reported despite moving land weakening initially slow hurricane proximity water nearly hours moving ashore subjected sustained winds mph gusts mph gulf_of_mexico dissipation maintaining northwesterly course dennis emerged gulf_of_mexico north havana utc july prolonged interaction mountains cuba severely disrupted hurricane core managed retain ragged wide eye time dennis emerged water maximum winds fell mph pressure rose mbar hpa inhg situated western periphery ridge gradual turn north northwest ensued cool temporarily halted notable reorganization dennis cleared able strengthen starting utc hurricane underwent rapid intensification rate bordered insane described subsequent hours central pressure fell mbar hpa inhg including drop mbar hpa inhg hour minutes hot towers extending observed strengthening intensification culminated dennis attaining winds mph utc july reaching lowest pressure mbar hpa inhg utc ranked dennis strongest pre august hurricane atlantic basin eclipsed days later july category record time hurricane situated roughly southwest florida dennis featured large circulation tropical storm force winds extending center core compact hurricane force winds stretched outward july dennis traversed area lower ocean heat content coupled mid- upper level dry air notable weakening took place hurricane approached florida panhandle utc dennis landfall major hurricane gulf breeze estimated winds mph pressure mbar hpa inhg tower observed sustained winds mph gust mph dramatic weakening ensued hurricane moved onshore winds falling tropical storm force hours weakening depression july handling operational advisories transferred nhc lingering depression continued north northwest gradually slowed weakening steering currents caused dennis slow turn northeast traversed ohio river valley july dennis circulation elongated system degenerated non convective remnant low utc july moved illinois cyclone executed prolonged clockwise loop state accelerating northeast july period band heavy precipitation set southern record rain fell northern georgia localized totals exceeding remnants later crossed great lakes absorbed larger extratropical cyclone ontario july
Meteorological history of Hurricane Dennis