Miami, Rabi'II 4, 1437, Jan 14, 2016, SPA -- Subtropical Storm Alex is expected to strengthen over the Atlantic Ocean and is threatening the Azores, U.S. forecasters said Thursday. Alex's maximum sustained winds early Thursday increased to near 110 kilometers per hour (kph). The storm was centered about 900 kilometers south-southwest of the Azores and was moving toward the north-northeast near 30 kph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Alex is forecast to move through the Azores with storm-force winds Thursday night and Friday. --SPA 19:57 LOCAL TIME 16:57 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w