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April 23, 2008

Hot day to yield to dry, windy one and a fire watch

That sure feels like record-breaking heat out there for a day in April. And it may be.

The record for today's date, set 100 years ago, was a balmy 85 degrees.

At mid-afternoon today, the National Weather Service says we’ve reached a high of 84. And I, for one, have to believe that in at least one spot in the state, the temperature hit 85 degrees.

The temperature is set to drop a few degrees per day through the end of the week, when we may also see some rain.

But there's a hitch.

The National Weather Service has issued a "fire weather watch" for tomorrow morning through tomorrow afternoon. That means that that critical fire weather conditions are possible, the service says.

The watch area covers most of Rhode Island and Massachusetts except for their southern coasts. It also incluces northern Connecticut and southwest New Hampshire.

A cold front will cross the region overnight. Behind it, winds will shift to the northwest and increase to around 15 to 20 mph by tomorrow morning. Drier air will filter in, with relative humidities dropping down into the teens by late tomorrow morning.

Then, the topper. Wind gusts to near 25 mph are expected to develop, and possibly greater. The combination of gusty winds and low relative humidity may create the potential for dangerous fire weather conditions.

A week ago tomorrow, a large brush fire burned wetlands near the East Bay Bike Path, and several more fires broke out over the next couple of days.

- projo.com staff writer Brandie Jefferson, with projo.com staff reports

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 4:24 PM | Permalink

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