Never been to sunny Bermuda? Not to worry: Bermuda is coming to you.
Some of it’s sweltering heat, anyway.
“There is a fair chance of a textbook three-day 90-degree-plus high temperature heatwave Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,” said Mike Haggett, who operates Pine Tree Weather. “The question mark is Tuesday at this point — a trough that is dropping down Monday night may spoil the party for high temperatures to reach 90 degrees as it may drop dew point temperatures down to more reasonable levels, if that happens, on Tuesday.”
Haggett said heat indices, the actual temperature and dew point, could take a run at 100 degrees on Monday in some areas, including Fryeburg and the Lewiston-Auburn area.
“This may trigger a heat advisory by the National Weather Service,” Haggett said.
Janet Malia Descoteaux’s backyard cooling station in Rumford. Submitted photo
Where is all this heat coming from? According to Haggett, it’s a typical Bermuda high set up that pumps heat and humidity in from the Gulf of Mexico, a common occurrence as late June gives way to July.
“This is nothing new,” Haggett said. “It’s just summer.”
Just summer, sure. But with such stifling weather coming on, locals were preparing to face it head-on. Some were charting out courses for the beaches, others were taking the practical approach and planning to keep cool at home.
“Shepherd hook, plastic chair, hose set on mist,” offered Janet Malia Descoteaux, of Rumford.
For Carolyn Tucker of Greene, the trick is to plan ahead and keep your home cool so you’ll always have a safe retreat.
“Close windows and curtains early in the morning,” she advised. “Turn air conditioner on before it heats up. Loose clothing, cornstarch on skin where you sweat. Stay hydrated, cold meals. I have experienced 100-plus-degree weather, fortunately without the swampy humidity. If you don’t have an AC, get a block of ice and a fan, put the ice between yourself and the fan. Not great but it helps.”
It helps, all right. They call them “swamp coolers” and they’re all the rage on social media. On YouTube alone, one will find no end of videos describing how to make the low tech AC alternative, which mainly involves styrofoam coolers, battery powered fans, PVC pipe and ice — lots and lots of ice.
“If your power goes out, if there’s a hurricane or any kind of severe weather, and you need some kind of air conditioning, a swamp cooler can actually be very effective,” reported Brandi Smith, of KHOU 11 in Houston, Texas. “They’re pretty cheap to make.”
Smith’s YouTube tutorial has been viewed 55,000 times since she published it three years ago. That’s small potatoes to a YouTuber called DesertSun02, whose video on how to make the “Five Gallon Evap. Cooler” was viewed 1.5 million times.
DesertSun02 followed up that video with another, producing a more advanced version of the homemade air conditioner and generated a whopping 13 million views.
Tucker, for one, doesn’t believe swamp coolers will do much good up here.
“Swamp coolers only help in dry climates,” she said. “Humidity destroys any cooling effect you get.”
With that in mind, there’s still the option to cool your home the more traditional ways.
At Home Depot in Auburn, a massive stack of air conditioners was set up at the front of the store. In addition to regular window units, they were also offering portable air conditioners with 10,0000, 12,000 or 14,000 BTUS. The 10,0000 BTU version was selling for $329.
Also in stock was the Arctic Air personal space cooler for $40 and the tower version for $99.
Walmart had a small stack of 5,000 BTU air conditioners available for $134 while an 8,000 Frigidaire model was $448.
At Lowe’s, the store appeared to be out of smaller air conditioners Friday afternoon, but they had plenty of 3-in-1 portable units for $599 and fans of all varieties.
One way or another, people will be seeking ways to get cool. Many of them expect to hit the beach at Range Pond in Poland, which will be open during the week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Others prefer lesser known beaches. Some of those suggestions include Hartford town beach, although a pass is required there.
There’s also Labrador Pond and Pleasant Pond, both in Sumner, and Canton Beach on the other side.
In Auburn, there’s Crescent Beach on Chicoine Avenue and the Auburn Public Beach off Route 4.
In Lewiston, the city pool is closed, but city officials say they expect to have sprinklers and other forms of cooling available. The Recreation Division was working on a plan, according to City Manager Denis D’Auteuil, although details of that plan were not available on Friday.
According to Haggett, the weather forecaster, it will likely be a bit uncomfortable at the start of the week, but he advised against making too much of it. Things are going to be much worse, he said, in other parts of the country.
“South of us is going to fry,” he said. “Out West is going to burn. The upper level heights are not quite tall enough to bring that kind of heat into Maine given the position. It will be plenty toasty, but not ‘all-time records’ and power-grid-busting heat.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
