High temperatures make tempers flare Weary Mainers ready for relief from heat

Across Maine, many folks had bags under their eyes as they dragged into the end of the hottest week of the summer with a glimmer of hope for a good night’s rest with falling temperatures.

Mainers who faced another steamy day Friday relished the prospect of cool, dry air on Saturday.

But first, they had to cope with one final sweltering day that added to the troubles for rangers battling forest fires and strained the regional power grid and people’s tempers.

In Portland, Amy Weinschenk noticed that the heat was taking its toll on people as the week progressed.

Her colleagues were complaining about a lack of sleep in their homes, most of which aren’t air-conditioned. Commuters, meanwhile, were hot and ornery on her ferry ride home to Peaks Island.

“For us in Maine, it’s unusual to have this much heat and humidity at once. What I’ve seen is that people are cranky, no matter where you go, whether it’s at home or at work,” Weinschenk said.

In Fryeburg, the state’s hottest place at 100 degrees on Thursday, people had a right to be dragging a little.

“I think everyone is conserving their energy. Everyone is moving in slow motion,” Nancy Gavin said Friday. “It’s just awful – all the time. I keep reminding people that it won’t last forever.”

Likewise, mechanics at Fryeburg Auto Repair, which has no air conditioning, were tired and crabby.

“We cheer every time someone calls and cancels an appointment,” said David Knapp, whose weary crew has been flooded with requests from customers to fix broken air conditioners.

As the heat continued unabated, mechanics became touchy about things that normally didn’t bother them. “There’s no break. We get irritable. We get tired of people hanging around,” he said.

Farther south, the temperature topped out at 95 on Thursday in Portland, breaking the old record of 94 set in 1949.

That marked the ninth day of 90-degree heat in Portland. The last time that happened was in 1991, and there were just two 90-degree days last year, said Augie Sardinha from the National Weather Service.

The weather was expected to change dramatically starting with a line of thunderstorms Friday afternoon, followed by a drop in humidity and temperatures in the 70s and 80s across the state Saturday.

But the forecast wasn’t welcome news to everyone.

The threat of thunderstorms raised the possibility of more forest fires. Rangers and firefighters have battled more than 40 fires this week, including a 10-acre blaze near Princeton.

Strong gusts accompanying the thunderstorms could cause existing fires to spread, and lightning could cause even more fires, said Jim Downie, spokesman for the Maine Forest Service in Augusta.

For most people, though, the change in weather will be appreciated. After the hot spell, the cool air may feel a bit like fall.

In Fryeburg, Gavin said despite the heat she isn’t ready for autumn. She said it’s her right as a New Englander to complain.

“We’re chronic complainers. It doesn’t matter what the weather is. We have to say something about it,” she said.