Heat advisory issued for much of Maine on Friday
Jack Hepburn, 18, of Cumberland, hangs onto a rope swing while cooling off in the Presumpscot River in Gorham on Thursday. Much of Maine is under a heat advisory Friday, with the heat index expected to near 100 in many areas. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)
Many Mainers and Vacationlanders are in for a hot one Friday.
The National Weather Service placed much of the state under a heat advisory, with the heat index — how hot it feels when combining heat and humidity — potentially reaching the high 90s.
The advisory, issued Thursday afternoon, covers a large stretch of the state from Kittery nearly all the way to Millinocket.
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All of Androscoggin, Cumberland, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo and York counties fall under the advisory, as do southern Somerset and Piscataquis counties, southern and central Penobscot County, and northern Washington County.
The advisory runs from 1 to 6 p.m. in Penobscot, Hancock, Washington and Piscataquis counties on Friday and calls for heat index values of up to 97 degrees.
The advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the rest of the affected area, with the heat index expected to reach up to 99 degrees.
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Aroostook, Franklin and Oxford were the only Maine counties completely spared from the advisory as of Thursday afternoon.
The weather service warns that the hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. The agency advises people in the affected areas to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned areas, limit strenuous outdoor activities and check on relatives and neighbors.
Hunter Tubbs, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office in Gray, said the culprit for the heat and humidity is a “Bermuda High.”
“There’s this large area of high pressure near Bermuda, known as the ‘Bermuda High,'” Tubbs said. “That’s helping bring in some tropical air into New England.”
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The hot and humid weather is expected to persist through the weekend, but Tubbs said Friday is likely to feel the hottest. The weather service projects the heat index to drop over the weekend into the high 80s and low 90s.
Overnight lows, meanwhile, may only dip into the high 60s and low 70s throughout the weekend.
There is a chance of rain Friday, Tubbs said, but Saturday poses the best chance of showers and storms across the region. Strong localized storms could spur heavy downpours and gusty winds at times in some areas, the weather service warns.
The heat advisory prompted Maine communities to announce the opening of cooling centers. The Portland Public Library at 5 Monument Square will serve as Portland’s cooling center during its normal business hours on Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency has a running list of cooling centers across the state on its webpage.
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Tagged: heat, hot weather, maine weather, National Weather Service, public service, weather
Drew is the night reporter for the Portland Press Herald. He previously covered South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth for the Sentry, Leader and Southern Forecaster. Though he is from Massachusetts,. More by Drew Johnson
