Northeast heat wave at peak as Erin churns west in Atlantic

My Connecticut stay has been extended once more, if you’re wondering why this is late. Of course, returning to D.C. seems less fun given the recent news out of our great capital city police state. Randomness aside, the focus of weather news may be a familiar one …

Weather watch

More heat. A multi-faceted heat spell still has a hold on the Lower 48 Tuesday. It will begin to give way on both coasts ahead, but it is a slow process for some, and in the east it will at least temporarily be upended by a new heat surge by weekend. Records are forecast to be widespread across New York and New England on Tuesday, where Boston is under a heat emergency.

Erin is born. Tropical Storm Erin developed near the Cabo Verde Islands on Monday where several people died in flooding rain, and it is now set to make the long trek westward across the Atlantic Ocean. The storm is forecast to reach hurricane status by Thursday then become a major hurricane north of the Caribbean over the weekend. While these long-trackers can become a big problem for the United States, they more typically curve northward, then back out to sea, before reaching our shores — seemingly the most likely scenario here.

Lightning links

The Seine in Paris is open for swimming. Residents embrace it as temperatures soar. (Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press)

Iconic Scottish landmark engulfed in wildfire. (The Weather Channel)

Monday torch

98 degrees was observed in Augusta, Maine on Monday.

Oops, wrong image.

The 98 there is the hottest so late in the year, after the same city reached an all-time record tying 100 in a heat wave earlier in the summer.

Mid-90s made it to the border with Canada, including 96 in Burlington, Vermont.

Another scorcher is on tap Tuesday for most of the Northeast. Heat advisories remain in place for portions of northern New England through the day.

Cool air is on the horizon, relatively speaking. Some places in the 90s now should be in the 70s early next week. Of course, that’s closer to normal for mid-August.

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Weekday morning newsletter by a journalist/forecaster. Connecting weather and climate change dots while occasionally stirring the pot.

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