How hot was it?

It was so hot that on Aug. 8 and 9 the record high temperatures for the date on Mount Washington, N.H., were smashed. Throughout the Northeast last week, 38 new high- temperature records were set and 15 old records were tied, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.

On Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, the Aug. 8 temperature at the summit reached 64 degrees, breaking the 63-degree record set on the date both in 1966 and 1998. The following day, the temperature soared to 67, two degrees above the previous record set in 1998. On Aug. 6, the temperature at the summit had tied the record of 66 degrees set in 1947.

Even Caribou, Maine, one of the coolest places in the region, saw three records tumble in last week's oppressive heat.

Newark, N.J., Bridgeport, Conn., and Binghamton, N.Y., all endured record high temperatures four days in a row, Aug. 6-9.

Atlantic City, N.J. also had four consecutive days of new records, Aug. 7-10.

Concord, N.H., saw three consecutive days of record temperatures on Aug. 7-9.

Atlantic City (103 degrees on Aug. 9), Syracuse (100 on Aug. 9) and Binghamton (95 on Aug. 9) set record high temperatures for the month of August. Newark and Hartford (Windsor Locks, Conn.) tied their highest August records.