The U.S. National Hurricane Center is advising that a subtropical storm has formed in the Atlantic ocean — in January.
Subtropical Storm Alex, the center says, has strengthened slightly as it moves toward the Portuguese mid-Atlantic archipelago of the Azores, which it is forecast to reach late Thursday or early Friday.
According to the Washington Post, the storm is the first tropical weather system to have formed in the Atlantic in January since 1978. Normally, such storms do not take place until July.
The Post added that warmer waters in the Atlantic and Pacific, caused by El Nino and global warming, could have a role in the unusual weather development.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- How an Alleged Spy Balloon Derailed an Important U.S.-China Meeting
- Effective Altruism Has a Toxic Culture of Sexual Harassment and Abuse, Women Say
- Inside Bolsonaro's Surreal New Life as a Florida Man—and MAGA Darling
- 'Return to Office' Plans Spell Trouble for Working Moms
- 8 Ways to Read More Books—and Why You Should
- Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?
- Column: Elon Musk Should Not Be in Charge of the Night Sky
- How Logan Paul's Crypto Empire Fell Apart
- 80 for Brady May Not Be a Masterpiece. But the World Needs More Movies Like This
