After one day of incredible heat Thursday, and two individuals struck by lightning in Connecticut, Friday's weather was, in many ways, a repeat.
High temperatures reached the 90s with heat index values - the combined impact of heat and high humidity - making it feel more like 100 to 105 degrees in most of Central and Southern New England on Friday afternoon.
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Thursday's high temperatures were also impressive - here's a list of highest temperatures by state with some reference cities, as well:
- Lawrence, Massachusetts was the hottest spot in the Commonwealth at 98 degrees (Boston was 96 degrees)
- Concord, New Hampshire hit 98 degrees (Manchester was 97 degrees)
- Burlington, Vermont hit a record high of 96 degrees
- Fryeburg, Maine hit 96 degrees (Portland was 90 degrees)
- Hartford, Connecticut hit 96 degrees downtown and 92 degrees at the official climate site at Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks
- Providence, Rhode Island hit 93 degrees
Friday is expected to bring similar high temperatures, but the heat index over 100 degrees is the cause for concern regarding impact to the body.
Remember:
- Drink water
- Limit exertion
- Seek cooling
- Wear lightweight and light colored clothing
- Check on others who may not have air conditioning (or for whom the air conditioning may have broken unexpectedly)
- Remember car maintenance - especially checking tire pressure to avoid blowouts and flats
On Thursday, we watched closely for storms that developed, mostly south of the Massachusetts Turnpike and also far north.
On Friday, we will keep an eye on the radar for all of New England, with scattered showers and embedded thunder possible into early afternoon in the north, and more likely strong thunder this afternoon into early evening in southern New England.
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Feeding off available heat and humidity, storms in southern New England will grow strong for some, producing locally damaging wind and hail to warrant some severe thunderstorm warnings. But please remember, heavy rain and lightning are just as big of concerns for us. "When thunder roars, go indoors."
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Finally, a Flash Flood Watch is in effect for much of Vermont all the way through the weekend. The concern here is not one limited just to the Green Mountain State - in fact, Thursday's storms produced flash flooding in the drought-stricken town of Glastonbury, Connecticut when over three inches of rain fell in less than two hours. While the ground may be parched, too much rain too quickly results in rapid runoff and flooding, so please keep that in mind and use caution where heavy rain falls, in Vermont and otherwise.
For what it's worth, we're expecting VERY different conditions on Saturday for most of eastern New England, as cool air seeps southward from eastern Canada, keeping Maine around 70 degrees for a Saturday high, and only around 80 in eastern Massachusetts with 80s farther inland - though still 90s in western Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Cooler temperatures will limit the threat of thunder Saturday in eastern New England, though some scattered storms are still likely deep inland, then heat, humidity and scattered storms return Sunday.
