Concord was the hottest part of the state Thursday afternoon as temperatures neared 100 degrees and muggy conditions made it feel even hotter.
Much of the state remained under a heat advisory and the National Weather Service warned of “oppressive conditions” for Thursday and today.
“Multiple days of this weather will compound the effects as there will be little relief from the heat and humidity even at night,” the weather service said.
Temperatures throughout Southern New Hampshire were in the 90s by 2 p.m. Concord was the hottest part of the state at 96 degrees, according to John Cannon, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.
The rest of the cities were still sweltering:
Portsmouth, 94
Keene, 91
Laconia, 91
Nashua, 95
Manchester, 94
Temperatures were a little more moderate farther north, but not by much. Most of Northern New Hampshire was still in the mid to high 80s.
One of the nicest parts of the state was on the summit of Mount Washington, where it was a cool 61 degrees with a dew point of 57.
“It’s a pretty nice day up there,” Cannon said.
The state Department of Health and Human Services encouraged people to stay inside and limit strenuous activities. Experts advised, as much as possible, to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, remain out of the sun, and check on older relatives and neighbors – especially those who live alone.
Communities were doing their best to keep people cool by opening cooling stations, usually in a community center or senior center. Concord kept city pools open an extra half hour to 8 p.m. Thursday.
Eversource Energy said it will have enough electricity to keep up with the increased demand, which grows with the heat.
“We see the highest demand for electricity during peak summer months,” said Joe Purington, vice president of electric operations for Eversource.
The utility recommended people turn up the temperature on air conditioners and leave them running all day, as opposed to turning them on full blast after getting home from work.
Anyone suspected of suffering from heat stroke is advised to call 911.