Tropical Storm Michael Could Bring Downpours To NY

NEW YORK — Another hurricane could bring more nasty rainfall to New York City this week after striking the Gulf Coast, forecasters say. Tropical Storm Michael was just off the coast of Cuba Monday morning as it headed for the southeastern U.S., according to the National Hurricane Center.

Michael is expected to strenghten into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall along Florida or Alabama in the middle of this week, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski writes.

The storm will track toward the Northeast amid unusually warm weather in the city — Wednesday's high in New York City will near 80 degrees, well above the normal level of 66, according to the National Weather Service.

While Michael won't directly hit the five boroughs, it's expected to bring a fair amount of rain to the area — up to 2 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest projection. The weather service says to expect showers and thunderstorms on Thursday.

The exact impact will depend on the storm's track and the speed of the cold front expected to move into the region later in the week, Pydynowski writes.

"There is also concern that the front and Michael will slow their forward speed, which can lead to more significant flooding over not just a part of the South but the Northeast," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert told the site.

Michael could drench the city less than a month after the remnants of Hurricane Florence flooded several subway stations and even left a rat cowering for cover.

On the bright side, the city is expected to feel more like fall once the storm passes. The mercury will reach a crisp high near 65 on Friday before an even cooler high near 59 on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Here's a closer look at what to expect from this week's wet weather, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Columbus Day (Monday)
Patchy drizzle. Cloudy, with a high near 69. East wind around 9 mph.

Monday Night
Patchy drizzle. Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind 5 to 7 mph.

Tuesday
Patchy drizzle before 10am. Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind 5 to 7 mph.

Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southwest wind around 6 mph.

Wednesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Wednesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.

Thursday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 8am. High near 77. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Thursday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday
A 30 percent chance of showers before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 65.

Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

(Lead image: The National Hurricane Center's latest estimate of Tropical Storm Michael's path. Image courtesy of the National Hurricane Center)