Hurricane Dennis was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that briefly held the record for the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever to form before August. Dennis was the fourth named storm of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It originated on July 4 near the Windward Islands from a tropical wave. Dennis intensified into a hurricane on July 6 as it moved across the Caribbean Sea. Two days later, it became a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale before striking Cuba twice on July 8. After weakening over land, Dennis re-intensified in the Gulf of Mexico, attaining its lowest barometric pressure of 930 mbar (27.46 inHg) on July 10. That day, Dennis weakened slightly before making a final landfall on Santa Rosa Island, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane. After moving through the central United States, the circulation associated with former Hurricane Dennis dissipated on July 18 over Ontario. While Dennis was still active as a tropical cyclone, it lost its status as the strongest hurricane before August to Hurricane Emily, which also moved through the Caribbean. Category 4 hurricane: peak winds of 150 mph (130 knots), lowest pressure 930 mb. July 4 – July 18, 2005. Landfalls: July 4 at 35 mph, 12.1°N 61.6°W; July 8 at 140 mph, 19.9°N 77.6°W; July 8 at 140 mph, 22.1°N 80.7°W; July 10 at 120 mph, 30.4°N 87.1°W. Accumulated cyclone energy: 18.8. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track AL042005 (public domain).