Temperatures have climbed into the 90s in many parts of Maine on Monday, which is likely to be the hottest day of the week, according to Meteorologist Margaret Curtis of the National Weather Service in Gray.
"We have high pressure that is just cresting over the region. We do have a cold front that'll start to approach from the west and allow temperatures to cool offa small bit on Tuesday and considerably by the end of the week," she says.
There's only a slight chance Portland will reach its record high for this date, 98 degrees. But, mix in the humidity and the so-called "heat index" may top 100. The city has opened the William B. Troubh Ice arena as a cooling center for those who need to get out of the heat.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency has also put together an online list of cooling centers around the state. There were nine of them scattered around Cumberland, York, Sagadahoc and Androscoggin counties as of early Monday afternoon.
Curtis also reminds people not to leave pets in cars without opening the windows. She says forecasters have been taking the temperature of her closed car today and registered a reading of 132 degrees.
