Dennis becomes STRONGEST June/July hurricane on record...

[Hyperstorm]

If Dennis strengthens to winds in excess of 115 mph, it will become the STRONGEST tropical cyclone in Atlantic hurricane records since 1950 during the month of JULY. Isn't that interesting?

If it becomes a very strong Category 4 hurricane (not expected) it will be the strongest tropical cyclone in Atlantic hurricane records for so early in the season.

The 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season is just beginning...

[EDIT: TO CHANGE TITLE OF THREAD AND ADD THE FOLLOWING]

Aside from what was posted above, Dennis has become the 2nd Strongest hurricane on record (dating back to 1851) during the month of July in the Atlantic Basin. The strongest July hurricane occured in 1926 and it reached winds of 140 mph!

If Dennis strengthens past 140 mph it will become the STRONGEST July hurricane since hurricane records have been kept in the Atlantic Basin.

[EDIT: TO CHANGE TITLE OF THREAD AND ADD THE FOLLOWING]

With winds of 150 mph and a pressure of 938 mb, Dennis has now become the STRONGEST Atlantic Hurricane on record for SO early in the season! What a season....

[Hyperstorm]

Let's all analyze how historical this season is already...

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

It has made the first one

[Hyperstorm]

Not yet. When winds EXCEED 115 mph we will then have the strongest hurricane since 1950 in the Atlantic basin during the month of July. And THAT is something...

[Steve]

>>Let's all analyze how historical this season is already...

I was watching point-counterpoint on Yahoo today (don't usually watch that one). Bastardi said his dad asked him a question he didn't even think of, that is, what happens later in the season if all the energy is out of the tropical Atlantic. The rhetorical idea given is that the WPAC and EPAC are essentially dead right now so maybe the energy (for whatever reason) lies in the Atlantic basin. So Reeves asked what about all the energy and warm water potential in the Gulf since the first 4 storms have gone through there, and will that sap the Gulf. He didn't say anything other than there was a increasing chances of East Coast activity later in the season and that his mid-July update would reflect that.

It was kind of interesting in the sense that yeah, if we've got 4 Gulf storms before July 10th, what's left for the Gulf this year? My thinking is that maybe we'd see some late season hybrid stuff, but how many storms really can get into the Gulf with this kind of start? Unless the proverbial stars are lined up in a way that gives us a remote possibility season, it can't possibly be a whole lot more than 4.

Steve

[tomboudreau]

Wasn't Bertha of 96 a cat 3 storm or was it just below that? Cant remember.

[HurricaneBill]

Yes, Bertha was a Category 3 hurricane in 1996 with sustained winds of 115 mph.

Bertha was also very unusual in the fact that she was a Cape Verde storm.

[arcticfire]

I think comparing hurricane seasons to the past when the current and future variables are no where resembling it is kinda like driving a car foward while looking in the rear view mirror.

[HurricaneBill]

Another noteworthy fact about Hurricane Dennis:

Hurricane Dennis ends the 20-year streak of no major "D" hurricanes. (1985-2004)

Prior to Dennis, the last "D" storm to reach major hurricane strength was Hurricane Diana in 1984.

[Hyperstorm]

Aside from what was posted above, Dennis has become the 2nd Strongest hurricane on record (dating back to 1851) during the month of July in the Atlantic Basin. The strongest July hurricane occured in 1926 and it reached winds of 140 mph!

If Dennis strengthens past 140 mph it will become the STRONGEST July hurricane since hurricane records have been kept in the Atlantic Basin.

[HurricaneGirl]

These last few seasons all seem to have broken some kind of records.

[feederband]

:eek: These last few seasons all seem to have broken some kind of records.

Literally...

[Hyperstorm]

With winds of 150 mph and a pressure of 938 mb, Dennis has now become the STRONGEST Atlantic Hurricane on record for SO early in the season (June/July)!

What a season....

[HurricaneGirl]

Unreal!!

[Stratusxpeye]

It all isnt registering. Seems like adream. Insane. I had thoughts about this season in my stomach a while back.

[wx247]

I think comparing hurricane seasons to the past when the current and future variables are no where resembling it is kinda like driving a car foward while looking in the rear view mirror.

If you don't occasionally look behind you when you are driving, you might wind up in bad trouble.

[btangy]

what happens later in the season if all the energy is out of the tropical Atlantic

Hurricanes derive their energy from the warm surface waters via surface fluxes (evaporation). The heat taken from the ocean then drives convection/thunderstorms redistributing the heat up to the cold tropopause.

As you probably know, hurricanes leave a wake of cold water mainly to the right of the track as mixing draws up colder water from beneath the mixed layer. It takes about 1-2 weeks for the SSTs to fully recover to their pre-storm temperatures.

So, as for this rash of early season activity exhausting the energy out of the Atlantic, SSTs throughout the majority of the Atlantic are still well above normal and any lull in activity will bring the SSTs near our recent TSs and Hurricane back to normal levels. So, these tropical cyclones have only taken cents out of the large reservoir of potential energy in the Atlantic right now.