Schools Declare Heat Day in Maine

Sept. 7, PM Update: Schools were also closed because of excessive heat in New Hampshire, as reported by WMUR TV, Channel 9:
Heat Closes Schools, Triggers Air Quality Warning

Sept. 3, PM Update: Additional reports of heat-related school closings appear in the Kennebec Journal: Heat closes schools early

Original post:The Lewiston, ME Sun-Journal reports today that some schools in Maine closed or sent students home early on Thursday, the fourth day of a record-breaking heat wave. Schools in Rockland, Augusta, Chelsea and Gardiner were affected. Superintendents reported that they had never before experienced school closings because of heat.

Temperatures in the low and mid 90s extended well into northern Maine, where Bangor set a new record high of 94°, breaking the old record of 93° set in 1953. It was the second day in a row of record temperatures in Bangor, where records extend back to 1925. The Bangor Daily News also reported on school closings resulting from temperatures in some classrooms reaching 100°.

Image (click to enlarge): U.S. high temperatures for Sept. 2, 2010 from Unisys