UPDATE | 3:56 p.m. — Boston’s high for Tuesday reached 91 degrees, as recorded at Logan Airport. Other parts of New England recorded hotter temperatures, including central Maine, which topped out in the upper 90s. The heat will continue Wednesday, with forecast highs climbing to the low-90s.
Boston’s daily record high for Aug. 12 is 101 degrees, set in 1944. Even though Boston didn’t reach that high, a few localized areas were expected to set new daily high records.
PREVIOUS FORECAST: The heat continued on Tuesday with mostly sunny skies, some light haze from Canadian wildfires, and light winds across Boston. Most of the region will follow suit, with just the immediate coast staying a touch cooler.
Dew points stayed around the low to mid-60s, keeping it a little muggy out there. Heat advisories and air quality alerts remain in effect for parts of New England, so make sure you’re limiting your time outdoors, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking frequent breaks to avoid any heat-related illnesses.
Tuesday night stays clear with lows in the upper 60s and low 70s for most.
The setup — staying hot, dry stretch persists
There’s not a whole lot of change in the forecast for Tuesday versus Monday region-wide. This moderate to strong heat dome will continue to remain parked to the south of New England, continuing a light southwesterly wind to help funnel some heat into the region.
One key difference, however, in this heat wave compared with others we’ve seen this summer — there’s not that much moisture in the air, meaning this high pressure is holding quite a bit of dry air and making the heat feel more like the Southwest versus the Southeast. That’s not to say you should disregard taking precautions against excessive heat, just noting how you’ll feel outside for Tuesday and Wednesday.
We’ll see mostly sunny skies with some air pollution and wildfire haze dimming the blue tint high in the sky a touch.
Dew points will settle in the low to mid-60s across Boston, and really all of New England, on Tuesday, which will make the air feel a little thick, but not as oppressive as previous heat waves.
Regardless of where the dew points stand, hot is hot, so make sure you’re checking in on your neighbors and the elderly, and certainly don’t leave any pets and youngsters unattended in vehicles for any length of time.
Weekend sneak peek
Early signals point to another completely dry weekend for, hold your applause, the third straight weekend! After a slow-moving cold front delivers scattered light showers across the region late Wednesday into Thursday, clear skies and sunshine will be on tap across Boston and New England.
At this time, Saturday looks more seasonal temperature-wise, with Sunday seeing a warm-up to the upper 80s and low 90s.
Tuesday’s breakdown
Greater Boston: Hot and mostly sunny with some light haze. Highs in the low to mid-90s. The immediate North and South shores may only reach the upper 80s.
Southeastern Mass.: Hot with mostly sunny skies, highs in the upper 80s along the coast, low 90s inland.
Central/Western Mass.: Hot with mostly sunny skies in place. Highs reach the low to mid-90s from Worcester to Springfield, upper 80s across most of the Berkshires.
Cape and Islands: Ideal conditions on the Cape with highs in the low 80s with mostly sunny skies on tap.
Rhode Island: Hot and mostly sunny. Highs in the low 90s for most. Newport remains in the upper 80s.
New Hampshire: Mostly sunny skies with temperatures reaching the mid-90s across the southern tier of the state, upper 80s up north.
Vermont/Maine: Seeing mostly sunny skies across both states. Highs reach the upper 80s and low 90s.
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Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman.