Subtropical Storm Alex strengthens in the Atlantic

An extremely rare January hurricane is brewing above the Atlantic for the first time since 1938.

“Remarkably, Alex has undergone the transformation into a hurricane”, National Hurricane Center forecaster Richard Pasch wrote in the advisory issued Thursday morning.

Alex is the first hurricane to form in January since 1938 and closed in on the North Atlantic islands on Friday morning.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Kate is moving toward the northwest, though forecasters expect it to turn northeast.

The storm should dump between 3 and 5 inches of rain on the islands, with 7 inches possible in isolated locales.

Pasch says Alex could intensify a bit, but soon it will move into some really cold water, weaken and lose its tropical characteristics.

The Azores Meteorological Service has issued hurricane warnings for the Azores, covering the islands of Faial, Pico, Sao Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira.

On average, the first named storm in the Atlantic does not occur until July 9.

Hurricane Alex was forecast to have sustained winds of 85-mph with higher gusts.

Storm surge: A unsafe storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding near and to the east of the center of Alex. Hurricane-force winds of 160-170k/hour and heavy rainfall are expected.

“It’s rare, but certainly not unprecedented”, National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen said. Conditions are expected to spread over the islands by Friday. According to The Atlantic, the storm could bring flash floods and mudslides, as well as large, unsafe waves near the coast.

Water temperatures are slightly above normal in the area of the storm, but are still below where a tropical system typically forms (currently around 68 degrees).

The Centre claims the only other hurricane that was present in the ocean in January in all of these years was Hurricane Alice in 1955.