Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Kyle, the sixth cyclone of the Atlantic season, headed today for Nova Scotia on Canada's east coast, bringing with it winds near 80 miles per hour (130 kilometers per hour).

A hurricane watch was in place for southwestern Nova Scotia and tropical storm warnings were issued for eastern parts of Maine, as the storm moved toward the north at 24 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory at 11 a.m. Miami time. Kyle is expected to weaken as it crosses into cooler waters.

Kyle is forecast to pass east of the coast of Maine and move near or over Nova Scotia before heading to New Brunswick. The storm center was located about 140 miles east southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, the center said. The storm is rated a Category 1 system, the lowest on the five-tiered Saffir-Simpson scale measuring hurricane strength.

Hurricane-force winds extend about 70 miles from the center of the storm, and the system may dump as much as six inches of rain along the eastern U.S. and Canada, forecasters said. Tides of 1 to 2 feet above normal and ``large and dangerous battering waves'' are expected along the New England and Canadian coasts.

To contact the reporter on this story: Reg Curren in Calgary at rcurren@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 28, 2008 12:59 EDT