More than a million Mainers now live in abnormally dry conditions, as a sudden drought expands in the state.
And despite cooler temperatures, dry weather — and wildfire danger — will remain elevated for the near future.'
About 80% of Maine is in some sort of drought condition, about unchanged from last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
But the area of the state in moderate drought has expanded and severe drought conditions have set in in around Penobscot Bay and Downeast, according to the monitor.
Less than a month ago just 4% of the state experienced abnormally dry conditions, according to the monitor.
Michael Clair a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray said most of the state has received less than half the normal precipitation this summer. He forecasted the state may not get relief until later this autumn.
"Right now unless we see a lot of rain any rain that does fall is going to get sucked up by the plants that are active so it wouldn't really reach into the ground system," Clair said.
Dry conditions have also sparked wildfire danger across most of the state. The Maine Forest Service has suspended online burn permits for the southern two-thirds of the state.
Service Fire Prevention Specialist Terri Teller said the state has experienced an unusually high number of fires this summer. The forest service recorded 245 wildfires in July and August, more than double the historic averages for those two months, Teller said.
"We always have some fire activity but we are seeing more of it and that is really due to the recently dry conditions here in Maine," Teller added.
