Story highlights Winds of fast-moving Hurricane Alex now at 80 mph

Alex is first Atlantic storm named in January since 1978 and first hurricane formed in that month since 1938

Alex could dump up to 7 inches of rain, cause mudslides and coastal flooding

(CNN) It has been nearly four decades since a winter storm in the Atlantic earned a name, and the National Hurricane Center went a step further Thursday, upgrading Alex to a hurricane.

At 10 p.m. ET Thursday, Hurricane Alex packed sustained 80-mph winds as it spun some 275 miles (about 433 kilometers) south of Portugal's Azores islands, parts of which are under a hurricane warning. Earlier the storm had maximum winds of 85 mph.

Tropical storm force winds already were reported in the eastern Azores, where it was early Friday morning.

Alex's strength is surprising, because tropical storms thrive most over warm waters, something that's unexpected in the North Atlantic in the middle of winter. The water was indeed cool -- about 68 degrees Fahrenheit -- but the air was super cold at minus 76 degrees and the 144-degree difference helped give the storm enough energy to be a hurricane, CNN Severe Weather Expert Chad Myers said.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, but that doesn't mean tropical systems don't pop up at other times, although it is infrequent.

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