Alex (2016)

A low pressure area that began near northwestern Cuba in early January moved northeastward and became an extratropical cyclone near the Bahamas. Under an unusual blocking pattern it turned east-southeast, moved over unusually warm waters, lost its fronts, and by 1800 UTC on 12 January 2016 had become a subtropical storm about 1,000 nautical miles west‑southwest of the Canary Islands. Convection increased on 13–14 January, and Alex became fully tropical by 0600 UTC 14 January. It moved northeastward, reached hurricane strength that morning, then weakened while turning north toward the Azores and completed an extratropical transition on 15 January after moving across cooler waters.

Alex made landfall on Terceira Island in the central Azores on 15 January 2016 at about 1315 UTC. At the time of landfall it was a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 55 kt (63 mph), although the strongest winds were displaced east of the landfall point as the circulation was changing and an outer wind maximum developed.

The storm’s peak intensity occurred on 14 January around 1200–1800 UTC when Alex reached maximum sustained winds of 75 kt (86 mph) and a minimum central pressure of about 981 mb, making it a Category 1 hurricane at its strongest.

Observed storm surge and rainfall were modest for the islands. A peak gust of 50 kt was recorded at Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island. Recorded sea‑level pressures at Lajes Field (Terceira) fell to about 988 mb at 1339 UTC on 15 January. Tables of observations show storm-tide/storm-surge entries but no large inundation values were reported in the record; rainfall totals listed in the official observations were limited and no major rainfall totals were recorded in the report.

There were no reports of damage or casualties associated with Alex. The Azores experienced gale- to tropical‑storm–force winds in places, but the available surface reports and the NHC record list no confirmed deaths or significant destruction.

Alex was meteorologically notable as the first Atlantic hurricane to form in January since 1938 and the first Atlantic hurricane ongoing in January since 1955. Forecast track errors were near typical values for recent years, but intensity forecasts and guidance generally did not predict Alex’s strengthening to hurricane strength; NHC issued tropical storm and hurricane warnings for parts of the Azores as the system approached.