Hurricane Alex Forms in the Atlantic

Nope, that headline is not a joke. According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Alex has formed in the north Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Alex currently has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and is moving north-northeast at 20 mph.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Alex is expected to weaken to a sub-tropical storm sometime on Friday. According to the NHC track map, Alex poses a threat to the small islands of Faial, Pico, Sao Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira, and Azores.

If you’re thinking it’s odd that a hurricane is occurring in January, you would be correct. Hurricanes rarely form in January. In fact, this is only the second on record (Alice in 1955, however Alice actually formed on December 30, 1954. The last hurricane to form in January was Hurricane #1 on January 3, 1938). However, several tropical and subtropical storms have occurred during the month of January. To access a list of all “off-season” tropical systems in the Atlantic, visit this wikipedia page.