Air Quality Alert issued for Coastal Maine

MEZ029-111915-
COASTAL HANCOCK-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ELLSWORTH...BAR HARBOR...BLUE HILL
313 PM EDT WED AUG 10 2016

...AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR OZONE IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 11 PM EDT
THURSDAY...

THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS
ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

COASTAL HANCOCK.

THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION`S BUREAU OF AIR
QUALITY HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ALERT...UNTIL 11 PM ON
THURSDAY...FOR THE THE SOUTHWEST COAST AND MID-COAST REGIONS OF
MAINE WHICH COVER THE COAST FROM KITTERY THROUGH ACADIA NATIONAL
PARK.

THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RECOMMENDS THAT
INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER LIMITING STRENUOUS OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS. PEOPLE WHO MAY BE
ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED LEVELS OF
POLLUTANTS INCLUDE THE VERY YOUNG, THE ELDERLY AND THOSE WITH PRE-
EXISTING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SUCH AS ASTHMA AND OR HEART DISEASE.
THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS SHOULD CONSIDER CONSULTING THEIR PERSONAL
PHYSICIAN.

A TOLL FREE AIR QUALITY HOTLINE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED SO MAINE
RESIDENTS CAN STAY INFORMED ON THE AIR QUALITY SITUATIONS. THE
TOLL FREE NUMBER IS: 1-800-223-1196.

ADDITIONALLY THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS
THE AIR QUALITY FORECAST AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT WWW.MAINE.GOV/DEP
MAINE AND CLICK TODAY`S AIR QUALITY FORECAST.

$$

AIR QUALITY ALERT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
317 PM EDT WED AUG 10 2016

MEZ023>028-111700-
COASTAL YORK-COASTAL CUMBERLAND-SAGADAHOC-LINCOLN-KNOX-
COASTAL WALDO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BIDDEFORD...SACO...OLD ORCHARD BEACH...
KITTERY...PORTLAND...CAPE ELIZABETH...SOUTH PORTLAND...
WESTBROOK...YARMOUTH...BRUNSWICK...ARROWSIC...BATH...PHIPPSBURG...
BOWDOINHAM...TOPSHAM...BOWDOIN...WHITEFIELD...DRESDEN...ALNA...
BREMEN...BRISTOL...DAMARISCOTTA...NEWCASTLE...BOOTHBAY HARBOR...
WISCASSET...WALDOBORO...MATINICUS...OWLS HEAD...ROCKLAND...
APPLETON...CAMDEN...HOPE...ROCKPORT...THOMASTON...BELFAST...
NORTHPORT...SEARSMONT...LINCOLNVILLE
317 PM EDT WED AUG 10 2016

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THURSDAY UNTIL 11 PM
THURSDAY...

THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS
ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

COASTAL CUMBERLAND...COASTAL WALDO...COASTAL YORK...KNOX...LINCOLN...
SAGADAHOC.

THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION`S BUREAU OF AIR
QUALITY HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ALERT ... UNTIL 11 PM ON
THURSDAY ... FOR THE THE SOUTHWEST COAST AND MID-COAST REGIONS OF
MAINE WHICH COVER THE COAST FROM KITTERY THROUGH ACADIA NATIONAL
PARK.

THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RECOMMENDS THAT
INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER LIMITING STRENUOUS OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS. PEOPLE WHO MAY BE
ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED LEVELS OF
POLLUTANTS INCLUDE THE VERY YOUNG, THE ELDERLY AND THOSE WITH
PRE-EXISTING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SUCH AS ASTHMA AND OR HEART
DISEASE. THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS SHOULD CONSIDER CONSULTING THEIR
PERSONAL PHYSICIAN.

A TOLL FREE AIR QUALITY HOTLINE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED SO MAINE
RESIDENTS CAN STAY INFORMED ON THE AIR QUALITY SITUATIONS. THE
TOLL FREE NUMBER IS: 1-800-223-1196.

ADDITIONALLY THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
HAS THE AIR QUALITY FORECAST AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT WWW.MAINE.
GOV/DEP MAINE DOT G O V SLASH D E P CLICK TODAY`S AIR QUALITY
FORECAST.

$$

Heat Advisory issued for Extreme Southern Maine

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
303 PM EDT WED AUG 10 2016

...HOT AND HUMID WEATHER EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK...

.A HOT AND HUMID AIR MASS IS MOVING INTO NEW ENGLAND. BY TOMORROW
AFTERNOON, THE AIR TEMPERATURE OVER MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
AND FAR SOUTHWEST MAINE WILL REACH THE MID 90S. WITH HUMIDITY
FACTORED IN, THE HEAT INDEX IS EXPECTED TO RISE TO 100 DEGREES OR
HOTTER THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THURSDAY NIGHT, LOW TEMPERATURES WILL
ONLY BE IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S, SETTING THE STAGE FOR ANOTHER
HOT AND HUMID DAY ON FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH THE AIR TEMPERATURE WILL NOT
BE QUITE AS HOT ON FRIDAY, WITH TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE LOW TO
MID 90S, THE HUMIDITY WILL BE GREATER ALLOWING THE HEAT INDEX TO
ONCE AGAIN REACH OR EXCEED 100 DEGREES. THOSE WITHOUT A WAY TO
ESCAPE THE HEAT WILL BE VULNERABLE TO HEAT EXHAUSTION. BUILDINGS
WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING OR ADEQUATE VENTILATION WILL BE
SUSCEPTIBLE TO OVERHEATING.

MEZ018-023-NHZ008-010>015-110315-
/O.NEW.KGYX.HT.Y.0001.160811T1600Z-160812T2300Z/
INTERIOR YORK-COASTAL YORK-MERRIMACK-STRAFFORD-CHESHIRE-
EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH-INTERIOR ROCKINGHAM-COASTAL ROCKINGHAM-
WESTERN AND CENTRAL HILLSBOROUGH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HOLLIS...ALFRED...LEBANON...SANFORD...
GOODWINS MILLS...BUXTON...LIMINGTON...BERWICK...BIDDEFORD...
SACO...OLD ORCHARD BEACH...KITTERY...BOSCAWEN...CANTERBURY...
CONCORD...DUNBARTON...LOUDON...HOOKSETT...BARRINGTON...
ROCHESTER...DOVER...ROLLINSFORD...SOMERSWORTH...DURHAM...
MADBURY...GILSUM...KEENE...MARLOW...SULLIVAN...SURRY...JAFFREY...
MANCHESTER...PELHAM...NASHUA...SALEM...ATKINSON...NEWTON...
PLAISTOW...CHESTER...DERRY...HAMPSTEAD...EXETER...GREENLAND...
PORTSMOUTH...RYE...HAMPTON...HAMPTON FALLS...NORTH HAMPTON...
SEABROOK...AMHERST...MILFORD...MONT VERNON...GOFFSTOWN...
PETERBOROUGH...SHARON...WEARE
303 PM EDT WED AUG 10 2016

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 7 PM EDT
FRIDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAY HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY...
WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 7 PM EDT FRIDAY.

* HEAT INDEX VALUES...100 DEGREES OR HIGHER DUE TO TEMPERATURES IN
  THE MID TO UPPER 90S...AND DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S.

* TIMING...BEGINNING THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO
  FRIDAY.

* IMPACTS...HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO
  PRODUCE OPPRESSIVE CONDITIONS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE BODY
  TO COOL ITSELF. THOSE ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WILL BE AT
  RISK OF HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE, ESPECIALLY OLDER ADULTS,
  INFANTS, AND PEOPLE WHO CANNOT CARE FOR THEMSELVES. MULTIPLE
  DAYS OF HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW THE HEAT AND
  HUMIDITY TO BUILD UP IN BUILDINGS WITHOUT ACCESS TO AIR
  CONDITIONING OR ADEQUATE VENTILATION.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS
EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY
WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE
POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED
ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND
NEIGHBORS... ESPECIALLY OLDER ADULTS WHO LIVE ALONE TO MAKE SURE
THEY ARE ABLE TO STAY COOL.

PEOPLE WHO WORK OR EXERCISE OUTSIDE OR IN HOT ENVIRONMENTS AND
CHILDREN ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR SPORTS SHOULD TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS.
WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING.
KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE.
WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST AND
WATER BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE
OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION.
HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY...CALL 9 1 1.

&&
$$

KIMBLE

Dry days concern some Prince Edward Island farmers

'These hot, dry winds are a killer to potatoes'

By Laura Meader, CBC News Posted: Aug 10, 2016 9:00 PM AT Last Updated: Aug 10, 2016 9:00 PM AT

 

It's ideal holiday weather but for many P.E.I farmers, continuous hot days can cause problems.

"We need rain," said Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board.

The potato crop is at a critical stage of development, Donald said, and if dry conditions continue it will affect the size of potatoes and how spuds plants can produce.

 

Hot, dry summer causing 'weather whiplash'

Dry weather threatens some P.E.I. vegetable crops

"[Farmers] are very worried, very concerned, and all areas need rain right now," he said.

Ray Keenan, who is 65 and has farmed most of his life, describes it as one of the driest years he's seen.

"Potatoes don't like a lot of heat," said Keenan, who owns Rollo Bay Holdings in Souris.

It's not just the lack of moisture, he said, but also the wind that's bad for crops.

"These hot, dry winds are a killer to potatoes. They wilt in the high heat and they don't recover well from that unless we have cool damp weather right behind it."

Weather experts say summertime precipitation can vary with some regions missing out due to rainfall hitting smaller, specific areas.


"A lot of it comes in the form of very localized showers and thunderstorms, so that can produce quite variable amounts," said CBC meterologist, Kalin Mitchell.

Mitchell said though it has been hot and dry, it's not a record-breaking year.  Weather records show Charlottetown received 137 millimetres of rain in total for June and July. The 30-year average is 179 millimetres.

45th driest summer in 142 years

Mitchell said this year ranks about 45th among 142 years of data.

 

"Believe it or not, for 2016 we don't even crack the top 10 or top 20 as far as driest Junes and Julys go."

At the Charlottetown Farmers Market, some growers say they're seeing the affect of the weather on their vegetables.  Verena Varga of Heart Beet Organics said without the rain, some vegetables don't size up.

"Our carrots are super tiny, super skinny," she said.

Varga has been using a sprinkler a couple of times a week but said she's heard horror stories from other small-scale farmers who are spending up to 12 hours a day watering crops.

P.E.I.'s forestry division bumped up two regions to a high fire index Wednesday. Officials wait for a category of "very high" before they put a ban on burning.

Showers forecast for Friday

"Conditions right now are moderate in the west and high in the central and northeast regions," said acting field services manager Scott MacDonald.  "If the forecast looked bad we would start to get worried."

 

There is a possibility of rain in the next few days. Most of the Island should see rain and showers Friday night and into Saturday morning, Mitchell said, adding it's too early to pinpoint amounts but the weather system could bring anywhere from  five to 15 millimetres depending on the region.

Forest fire near Kejimkujik National Park, in Nova Scotiam spreads to 350 hectares

Smoke spreading to Halifax; officials urging caution before calling 911 to report smelling smoke

By Elizabeth McMillan, CBC News Posted: Aug 10, 2016 10:14 AM AT Last Updated: Aug 10, 2016 4:23 PM AT

 

Smoke from a forest fire near Kejimkujik National Park is hanging over much of the southern part of Nova Scotia as crews spend their sixth day fighting the blaze, which has quadrupled in size since Saturday.

The Seven Mile Lake fire is now 350 hectares and ate up 110 hectares yesterday, the Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday.

Crews are working around the clock to curb its growth amid winds that picked up early in the afternoon, making the task more challenging.

"Today is supposed to be a beautiful day if you're on vacation, but a horrible day if you're fighting forest fires," said Jim Rudderham, the department's forest protection operations manager.

Fire often backtracks

He says air tankers are attacking the fire from above with crews trying to extinguish it on the ground.

The fire is moving forward and backward, pushed by the wind into places it has already burned.

The Seven Mile Lake fire is the biggest of nine forest fires that have been reported in Nova Scotia since last week.

Three of them — Seven Mile Lake in Annapolis County, Ten Mile Lake in Queens County and Clyde River in Shelburne County — are out of control. A new fire was reported in Round Hill, Annapolis County, on Wednesday. Officials say they don't know yet how bad that one is.

The other five have been contained or are no longer burning.

Hazy skies over Halifax

Environment Canada has issued special air quality statements that remain in effect for Annapolis, Lunenburg, Queens and Kings counties. By noon on Wednesday, the smoke had travelled as far as Halifax.

Emergency officials are cautioning against calling 911 about smelling smoke because "there is a strong likelihood what they are in fact seeing and smelling is residue from the fires in southwestern Nova Scotia."

There have been 41 calls in the past three days reporting fires that turned out to be false alarms, a municipal spokesman says.

Meanwhile, a ban on brush burning and campfires is in effect across the province.

'Creeping burn'

Some of the crews have been working since the Seven Mile Lake fire was discovered last Thursday.

The fire moved so quickly Monday night that crews were forced to leave the area. It slowed down on Tuesday, but spread further.

 

Rudderham says no firefighters have been injured, but it's been a tough slog.

"It's a creeping burn. It's just so hard for the crews, it's just challenging them so bad," he said.

"They win and they lose and they win and they lose. It's just hard."

So far, the fire has not threatened any homes. Rudderham says there's some extra protection around cottages and camps near the fire.

Digging fire breaks

Heavy equipment operators are digging up brush and vegetation to create wide sections where the fire can't pass.

"They are clearing away anything that can burn. Down to bare minimum soil," Rudderham said.

There were no new fires reported overnight Tuesday and so far, he says there are enough resources to go around. But every new fire draws crews away.

Twenty additional firefighters from New Brunswick and Rudderham were expected be on the ground Wednesday afternoon.