Alex is first January hurricane to form in the Atlantic since 1938

A rare January hurricane has formed in the Atlantic for the first time in 78 years, US meteorologists report. It is expected to reach the Azores islands today.

A warning has been put out and the Azores government has told people to take precautionary measures.

Previously categorised as a tropical storm, Alex was upgraded on Thursday afternoon as winds reached 80mph.

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It is the first to form in January since 1938 – and is only the fourth since records began in 1851. A previous January hurricane, Alice, actually began in December 1954 and lasted into the following year.

Atlantic hurricanes typically arise between June and November, when the waters are at their warmest, and such a severe winter storm is rare. Experts say that although the ocean is cooler than usually needed to turn a tropical storm into a full-blown hurricane, extremely cold winds have produced the necessary difference in temperature.

"It is very unusual to have a hurricane over waters that are near 20 degrees Celsius, but the upper-tropospheric temperatures are estimated to be around -60 degrees", creating the big instability, hurricane specialist Richard Pasch told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Alex's maximum wind speed of 85mph puts it into the lowest category on the Saffir–Simpson Wind Scale, meaning it is unlikely to cause severe damage.

Four Category-1 hurricanes have reached the Azores archipelago since the 1970s, with no significant damage beyond power outages and broken windows.

However, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre has warned that Alex will bring heavy rains, with the risk of flash-flooding and mudslides.