The Southcoast is familiar with hurricanes, so much so, that we had the hurricane engineers build a hurricane barrier that protects our harbor during these storms. With that said, I can't recall in all of my years, the hurricane barrier closing in the middle of January because of a hurricane. And yet, Hurricane Alex has been named the first hurricane of the 2016 season in the middle of January.

According to WCVB 5, the National Hurricane Center has upgraded a storm in the Atlantic Ocean to hurricane status, which is a rarity for January.

Alex formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and it was the first storm to form in that ocean in January for 38 years.

Alex is the first named storm of 2016, though the Atlantic hurricane season does not officially begin until June 1st.

The storm will impact the Azores today and tomorrow in the northeastern Atlantic with gale force winds and heavy rain.

About three to five inches of rainfall is expected in the Azores from Hurricane Alex.

With additional reporting by Sal Lopez

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