First Heat Wave of the Century for Portland, Maine
Sunset after a hot Tuesday in the Bronx, N.Y. (Photo submitted on August 31, 2010, by AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Jose Diaz.)
The hot temperatures that have been baking the Northeast broke several record highs on Tuesday and caused Portland, Maine, to endure its first heat wave of this century.
A heat wave in the Northeast is defined as temperatures rising to or above 90 degrees for at least three days, which is exactly what occurred in Portland from Sunday to Tuesday.
This is the first heat wave in Portland since mid-July 1999. In fact, the heat wave marks the 24th one for Portland since temperature records began in November 1940.
Temperatures during the heat wave peaked on Tuesday with a high of 94 degrees. That broke the day's previous record high of 92 degrees from 1969.
Portland was not alone in setting a record high on Tuesday. Several other places across the Northeast did the same.
A sampling of these records is given below with the old record in parenthesis.
--Atlantic City, N.J.: 99 degrees (97 degrees from 1953)
--Bangor, Maine: 97 degrees (96 degrees from 1937)
--Islip, N.Y.: 94 degrees (88 degrees from 1991)
--Burlington, Vt.: 92 degrees (88 degrees from 1993)
Philadelphia failed to a set a record high on Tuesday, but Tuesday did mark the end to the city's warmest ever meteorological summer.
Meteorological summer runs from June to August, during which temperatures averaged 79.63 degrees in Philadelphia. The meteorological summer of 1995 was previously the city's warmest with an average temperature of 78.53 degrees.
Tuesday was the 48th day this year that temperatures rose or exceeded 90 degrees in Philadelphia. This year now ranks fourth among the years that have had the most 90-degree days. The record is held by 1991 with its 53 such days.
The blazing heat from Tuesday will persist across the Northeast today with widespread highs in the 90s.
However, an end to the sizzling temperatures is in sight. The same cold front diverting Hurricane Earl's track to the northeast will usher in significantly cooler air by the start of the weekend.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 100° | Wink, TX |
| Low | 29° | Mullan Pass, ID |
| Precip | 1.17" | Chapel Hill, NC |
WeatherWhys®
People need to pay close attention to the UV index during this time of year. On a sunny day late in the spring and into the summer, the UV is usually at least an 8, which is very high. Readings over 11 are considered extreme values in which only 10 minutes of full exposure to the sun will produce a sunburn.
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