With temperatures expected to reach 90 degrees or higher Tuesday, this latest blast of hot air could become an official heat wave, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency defines a heat wave as three consecutive days of at least 90 degrees. With Sunday and Monday reaching that threshold in many parts of Maine, and Tuesday and Wednesday forecast to break that threshold, Mainers should prepare for a couple more days of air conditioners, fans and other cooling measures. 

“Usually when we are talking about a heat wave it’s three days over 90,” Margaret Cortis, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said. “In Portland last year it happened twice but prior to that it hadn’t happened since 2011.

“Portland is a little close to the coast, has the ocean, so if we go over to Gray, we haven’t had three days in a row since 2017,” she said. “Little less than once a year … The other factor is the dew point, the measure of moisture in the air. It is really sticky out there. At 65 it’s usually when people will say it’s sticky and 70, like today, feels like you could swim through the air. Some areas are expecting the heat index will hit 100.”

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These high temperatures have a chance of becoming more frequent, according to Cortis. 

“The general consensus is we will see more heat waves in the future,” Cortis said. “Every individual day of weather is different. It doesn’t mean it will never snow or not freeze. We can think of the January days and wouldn’t hate it right now.”

Lewiston hit 94 degrees Monday, leading many people to their pools, sprinklers or the beach. 

Portland was just a degree short of a record-high temperature at 97 degrees, while Augusta broke its record at 94, according to the NWS office in Gray. 

Lisbon Fire Chief Nate Leclair advised people to stay hydrated and cut back on moving around.

“I remind everybody to limit physical activity during the hottest part of the day,” he said. “Run first thing in the morning when the index is lowest and drink fluids during the day.”

Jaice Addison, left, reacts after his water gun ran dry while squirting his cousins Monday morning in Auburn. His other cousin, Marcade Patrick, middle, hides in their pool after Bradley Patrick, right, picked up the hose fillling the pool as they try to stay cool during Monday’s heat. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

In Auburn, Director of Communications Liz Allen advised that the Norway Savings Bank Arena is open to the public during the day to cool down. 

“When it gets this hot we open Norway Savings Bank Arena to have people stop in and what better place than an ice arena.” she said. 

The arena will be open to anyone from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Spend all day with us if they want to, plug in devices, bring some snacks, we have plenty of room,” Allen added. 

She also suggested the Auburn Public Library as a place to cool off while reading or surfing the web. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Many people were cooling off in their yards Monday, including Shelby Carter of Auburn. She had a plastic slide for the swimming pool, a plastic water table set-up, a blue plastic pool with toys and a circular mat with sprinklers for her children, Asher, 3, and Silas, 10 months. 

Dominic Matchett, left, takes a sip of a cold drink Monday morning in the shade of a dugout at Pettengill Park in Auburn where he and his teammates were taking a break between innings of a kickball game. Morning activities were outdoors, but as the temperature soared after lunch they moved inside to take advantage of the air conditioning at the nearby senior center. The children are campers at the Auburn Parks & Recreation Department’s summer camp. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

The family had just headed outside just before 4 p.m.

“We just started because the clouds started to come in so we took advantage of that,” Carter said. “We’ve been out for 30 minutes now and I guess we will probably be out here for another hour, or so. It’s great because we have an air conditioner inside but they love the water and some people aren’t as lucky to have AC so I texted all my friends and said, ‘If you have kids bring them over, it’s totally fine.’”

Carter said the sprinklers get a lot of use on hot days.

“Once a day they use it, they love the water, so it’s great,” she said. “It’s been a great investment.”

Asher “asks for it all the time,” she said. “The second it turns to spring he’s asking for it. I’ll say, ‘It’s 60 degrees out.’ But he will say, ‘It’s OK,’ even though the hose is colder than the air. He will beg for it.”