The Northeast is now bracing for a potentially dangerous northeaster expected to bring rain, punishing winds and high tides that could add to the misery of residents still reeling from Hurricane Sandy and set back the restoration of power.

Forecasters are tracking a storm developing off the Southeast coast that is expected to make a turn northward and intensify on Tuesday before hitting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern States by Wednesday, and continuing into Thursday.

The National Weather Service is predicting that the storm could produce sustained winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour and gusts of up to 60 m.p.h. in the New York region by Wednesday afternoon. The storm could cause more power failures and minor to moderate flooding along the coastal areas that were devastated by the hurricane last week, said David Stark, a meteorologist with the Weather Service.

Mr. Stark said that tidal surges of 2 1/2 feet to 4 1/2 feet at the peak of high tide on Wednesday night could behave unpredictably along the South Shore of Long Island and western Long Island Sound, landscapes altered by Hurricane Sandy.