Tropical storm Chris has been upgraded to a hurricane, becoming the first named hurricane of the Atlantic season, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm, which is located in the northern Atlantic, has strengthened during the last several hours. Hurricane Chris' maximum sustained winds are now 75 mph. Chris remains no threat to land as it moves northeast at 20 mph.

Hurricane Chris has been named nearly two months earlier than the average first date of a hurricane in the Atlantic which is August 14, according to Dennis Felton with the National Hurricane Center.

This is also only the third time since record keeping began back in the late 1800s that there have been three named storms so early in the season. Normally storms are not officially named until July 11, Felton said.