Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Residents of southeastern Florida kept close watch today on Tropical Storm Noel as it barreled through Cuba toward the Bahamas after lashing Haiti and the Dominican Republic with rain that left as many as 60 dead.

The storm may pass within 130 miles (209 kilometers) of Florida, bringing heavy downpours, gusty winds and pounding surf, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

``We don't expect this storm to develop into a hurricane,'' storm specialist Chris Landsea said in an interview from Miami today. ``The storm is moving slowly and will probably be to the southeast of Florida late tonight and tomorrow morning.''

A tropical storm watch was issued today for the southeast Florida coast by the center. A watch means tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours.

Noel's sustained winds increased 20 percent during the past few hours to 60 miles per hour. It was about 160 miles south- southwest of Nassau, in the Bahamas, the center said in an advisory posted on its Web site at 8 p.m. Miami time. The system, which was stationary, is forecast to head north.

The storm's proximity to Florida's east coast may mean rough seas, dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding and severe beach erosion today and tomorrow, government forecasters said.

``The combination of Noel to the south and a high-pressure system in the north is what's causing the high winds,'' National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Molleda said in an interview from Miami. He said the area was experiencing wind gusts as high as 55 miles per hour.

`Not a Good Beach Day'

``This is not a good beach day,'' Craig Fugate, director of Florida's division of emergency management, said in an e-mailed statement. ``We are urging folks to stay out of the water until the threat from Noel passes.''

In some coastal areas around Miami and Palm Beach, ``we have waters coming right up to the buildings, completely devouring the beach,'' Molleda said.

The National Weather Service has issued high-surf and wind- related warnings and advisories along Florida's coastline from Miami north to Daytona Beach.

By Nov. 2, Noel will ``get picked up by the fast-moving flow of the jet stream'' and ``bypass the rest of the East Coast, only causing seas to build,'' according to AccuWeather Inc.

Death Toll

In the Dominican Republic, Noel caused flooding that downed bridges, cut electricity and left tens of thousands of people in need of emergency rations, according to statements on the Web site of Dominican President Leonel Fernandez. At least 21 people were killed and 16 are missing, according to the site.

The Associated Press said as many as 60 people have died because of the storm, 41 in the Dominican Republic, 18 in neighboring Haiti and one in Jamaica.

Tropical storm warnings were in place in the Cuban provinces of Sancti Spiritus and Guantanamo and in the central and northwestern Bahamas, the center in Miami said. Such warnings are an indication that winds of as much as 74 miles per hour are expected within 24 hours.

Noel continued to produce rainfall over Hispaniola, the island split between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the center said. The island may get as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) more rain, bringing the total from Noel to 30 inches, it said. As much as 15 inches was predicted for eastern Cuba and the Bahamas.

`Life-Threatening' Floods

``These rains, particularly in Hispaniola and Cuba, are expected to cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides,'' the center said.

Police, civil-defense workers and the military were working to reach isolated communities and locate missing people in the Dominican Republic, according to the president's Web site. Aid, including food, mattresses, sheets and mosquito nets, was given to 145,000 families. More than 300,000 families will need assistance, according to the site.

In Cuba, about 1,000 homes were damaged, 2,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas, and schools were closed for thousands of students, according to the government.

In Jamaica, to the south of Cuba, ``heavy rains, caused by spiral bands and a trough associated with Tropical Storm Noel continue to lash the island,'' leading to flooding and mudslides, the country's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management said in an e-mailed statement.

One woman was killed when a house collapsed because of a landslide in Mud Town, near the capital, Kingston, the office said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Kelly Riddell in Washington at Kriddell1@bloomberg.net; Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 31, 2007 20:54 EDT