The first hurricane of 2016 was named Thursday.
Subtropical Storm Alex formed south of the Azores islands Wednesday afternoon. The storm built as it traveled toward the islands. Alex became a Category 1 hurricane when it reached sustained winds of 75 mph on Thursday night.
A storm warning is in effect for most of the Azores. Alex is expected to center on the Azores through tonight and continue its path north on Saturday. Alex will curve towards Nova Scotia before it reaches Greenland on Sunday. The storm will remain a Category 1 throughout the weekend.
Hurricane season begins on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30. Hurricane Alex is the third hurricane ever recorded in Jan. The first was an unnamed hurricane in 1938. Hurricane Alice formed in Dec. 1954 and continued into the first week of Jan. 1955. Hurricane Alex is now the strongest Jan. hurricane with peak winds of 85 mph.
