Cooler and drier weather is on the way for the weekend and most of the summer.
By Julie Kachinski
Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Angela Melcher doesn’t have an air conditioner. When she needs to cool down, she drops whatever she is doing to get outside.

“I can’t get nothing done in this heat – no housework, no nothing – you don’t feel like doing anything,” the 45-year-old said.

When Melcher went to the Kennedy Park pool in Lewiston on Friday afternoon to take a break, she was met with unfortunate news. It was closed for cleaning. She opted to walk through the park, feed old bread to the pigeons and rest in the shade.

“I don’t want to sit. But I don’t want to move, either, because then I’m dripping with sweat,” she said.

According to the National Weather Service in Gray, temperatures rose to 88 degrees in Lewiston Friday, which means there was no official heat wave in this area.

The same cannot be said for other parts of the state, including Fryeburg, where temperatures reached 96 degrees.

To be considered an official heat wave, temperatures must reach or exceed 90 degrees for three consecutive days.

In Lewiston, Wednesday’s high was recorded at 93 degrees and Thursday’s reached 91 degrees. But Friday fell short.

Although the temperatures were lower Friday, many people may have not noticed the difference because of the humidity and poor air quality.

According to Tom Downs at the Bureau of Air Quality, the combination of southwesterly winds, high temperatures, clear skies and sunshine contributed to the high ozone readings.

Meteorologists warned people, particularly children and the elderly, to take it easy.

Keeping cool

David Corriveau was painting the outside of his neighbor’s house Friday afternoon. To stay cool, he took frequent breaks in his pool and drank plenty of fluids.

“By the end of the day I feel like a water balloon because I’ve been drinking so much water,” Corriveau said.

Lifeguards at the Kennedy Park closed the wading pool every hour Friday afternoon to decrease the risk of drowning by tired swimmers.

The 10- to 15-minute break also gave the lifeguards a chance to rest, said aquatics director Stephanie Jalbert.

“With it being the first hot week and so many kids around, it’s been a long week for all of us,” she said.

Relief is on the way. The high for Saturday is expected to be between 83 and 84 degrees in Lewiston.

A cold front will make it cooler and drier than the previous days, said Tom Hawley of the National Weather Service

“Dew points will be quite a bit lower so it won’t be nearly as sticky,” he said.

Temperatures and precipitation throughout the summer are predicted to be normal. That means an average high in the Lewiston area of 79 degrees, an average low of 58.8 degrees and a summer average of 68.9 degrees.

jkachinski@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link