Sept. 26 (Bloomberg) -- An Atlantic storm drenched New York City today, creating ankle-deep pools along Manhattan curbs and prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flood advisory for the city, Long Island and New Jersey.

As much as 6.5 inches (16.5 centimeters) may fall in the New York area through the weekend and some isolated areas could see even more, said John Murray, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Upton, New York.

``Bring the umbrella, the galoshes, the rain gear, the goggles, whatever you need,'' said Carrie McCabe, a meteorologist for private forecaster AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. ``If you have a little boat, take it to Central Park.''

A flood watch is in effect throughout New York, Connecticut and western Massachusetts for the next two days because of the storm that struck the city overnight.

``Excessive runoff from the heavy rain band will cause flooding of urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses,'' according to a weather service advisory. ``Do not drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway; most flooding deaths occur in automobiles.''

Complicating the weather along the eastern U.S. is another system: Tropical Storm Kyle, which is expected to brush Massachusetts and Maine before slamming into Canada, the National Hurricane Center said.

Kyle Tracks North

Kyle's maximum sustained winds strengthened to 60 miles (95 kilometers) an hour from 50 mph late yesterday, the center said in an advisory posted on its Web site at about 5 p.m. New York time. The system was centered 400 miles southwest of Bermuda and heading north at 13 mph.

``Interests in the northeastern United States and the Canadian Maritimes region should closely monitor the progress of Kyle during the next couple of days,'' the advisory said.

Kyle won't be a direct threat to New York, Murray said by telephone. The storm's outer edge will add to rain falling on the city and mean a flood watch will remain in effect for most of the weekend, he said.

The center's three-day forecast shows Kyle strengthening into a hurricane early tomorrow over the open Atlantic west of Bermuda, before weakening again to a storm and striking Nova Scotia sometime between Sept. 28 and 29.

Short-Lived Hurricane

McCabe said Kyle will probably be a weak Category 1 hurricane, with winds of at least 74 mph, or a tropical storm when it hits Canada. The storm will most likely be a hurricane for only about 12 to 24 hours, she said.

Whether Kyle continues on its current path or drifts farther to the west, where it could be more of a problem for Massachusetts, depends on the strength of a high pressure system in the Atlantic, McCabe said. If the high intensifies, Kyle may give Cape Cod in Massachusetts a harder punch.

A tropical-storm warning was posted for Bermuda, meaning sustained winds of at least 39 mph are possible within 24 hours. The island nation may get as much as 3 inches of rain through tomorrow, U.S. forecasters said.

Kyle is forecast to make landfall in New Brunswick on Sept. 28 and drop up to 3.9 inches of rain, according to Environment Canada's Hurricane Centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Winds of up to 55 mph with hurricane-force gusts up to 74 mph are possible.

Weakening Near Maine

The storm is expected to weaken as it passes over cooler waters in the Gulf of Maine before striking New Brunswick, according to Environment Canada's latest statement.

Kyle yesterday became the 11th named storm of the June 1- Nov. 30 Atlantic hurricane season, when an area of low pressure that had dumped rain across the northeastern Caribbean became more organized.

It is the first named storm to develop since Hurricane Ike crashed into the Texas coast Sept. 13, devastating Galveston and leaving more than a million customers without power.

Forecasters predicted the season would see an above-average number of storms. Colorado State University researchers predicted at least 17 major storms, including nine hurricanes, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center said there would be 14 to 18 named storms.

To contact the reporters on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at bsullivan10@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: September 26, 2008 16:55 EDT