The National Weather Service has issued an air quality warning Friday for most of northern Maine due to drifting Canadian wildfire smoke.
According to weather forecasters, smoke will linger over parts of Maine north of Dover-Foxcroft, Lincoln and Topsham through Friday evening. The amount of particle pollution is unhealthy for “sensitive groups,” which includes people with heart or lung disease, the elderly, teenagers and children.
People in these groups should be careful about doing strenuous exercise outdoors.
A moderate amount of particle pollution is expected to linger over the entirety of the state Friday.
Moderate particle pollution will persist across the entire state on Saturday, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
The lingering smoke coincides with another rainy start to the weekend, with showers expected across much of the state Saturday. Scattered showers in central and northern Maine are expected to start Friday afternoon.
Thunderstorms are expected to develop along the Maine-New Hampshire border Friday, with potential severe thunderstorms traveling through western Maine this evening.
Heading into Saturday, temperatures will be in the mid to high 60s, with potential for thunderstorms developing throughout the day.
Heavy rainfall will be intermittent throughout the day, increasing the potential for flash flooding.
Showers should clear out throughout Saturday evening, with skies clearing some Sunday and daytime highs climbing to the mid- to high 70s.
