July was a very humid month, even by summer standards. In Portland, the dew point rose above 70 degrees (when it feels oppressive) 11 times. The very humid weather pattern we are in has some staying power.

It looks like it will continue through the weekend and at least the first half of next week.

The culprit remains a large area of high pressure over the Atlantic, forcing a southerly flow of humidity from the tropics into Maine.

It’s sticky now, but the humidity increases Wednesday and Thursday. It looks like dew points will stay very high through the weekend.

Thursday will be the hottest day of this week, with high temperatures between 85 and 90 degrees.

Scattered showers and storms are possible. Much like last week, in the high humidity, any of the storms that form can produce heavy rain.

By the middle of next week, a strong enough front should approach to reduce the humidity somewhat, but there are no signs of cooler and refreshing air in the next seven to ten days.