[neverdem]

humidity

humidity (hu·mid·i·ty) (hu-mid´ĭ-te) [L. humiditas] the degree of moisture, especially of that in the air.

absolute h. the actual amount of vapor in the atmosphere expressed in weight per unit volume.

relative h. the percentage of moisture in the air as compared to the amount necessary to cause saturation, which is taken as 100.

perspiration

(per·spi·ra·tion) (per”spĭ-ra´shən) [L. perspirare to breathe through] 1. sweating; the functional secretion of sweat. 2. sweat.

insensible p. those evaporative losses of water from the moist surfaces of the body (such as the skin and respiratory tree) not due to the secretory activity of glands.

sensible p. perspiration due to secretory activity of sweat glands.

Our bodies get cooled by water evaporating from our sweat. The loss of the heat of evaporation is the cooling mechanism. The more that the atmosphere is already saturated with water vapor, the harder it is to cool our bodies, IHMO. All corrections are always appreciated.

[jsh3180]

Heck, 93 degrees with 90% humidity is a typical summer day here in the Florida Keys. That’s off the chart on your scale there. I have a construction company and I’ll tell you it’s absolutely brutal, but only twice in 25 years in business have i had to pack someone in ice from heat exhaustion, both times it was a newbie who did not know how to pace themselves or drink enough fluids.

[festus]

How hot is it ?

In the old days we checked the thermometer. But that was not making readings exciting enough for the weathermen so the heat index was invented.

[metesky]

Do they ever tell us that for the whole summer so far night time temps in central Maine have been in the high 40s and low 50s?

I thought not, not exciting enough for the climatoids.

[BuffaloJack]

I recently did a personal, although fairly unscientific, study of the local news reporting of the daily temperature. Each day I noted the temperature reported by AccuWeather, NOAA, and weather.com. I then noted the temperature reported by the local news station. In the spring and summer, they always reported the highest number correspondingly reported by one of the 3 weather services. The 3 services rarely reported the same number between themselves, but the local news always found the highest one to report. Likewise, in the winter, the coldest number was always reported.
Does anyone think they are trying to sensationalize everything? They also picked the highest heat index number, even if it didn’t go with the temperature reported by the service they picked for the day.

[libertylover]

My Dad had his own heat index, which went like this: Temperature 90 degrees; humidity 90 percent = feels like 180.

[Right Wing Assault]

A heat index of 126 or higher is extremely dangerous. And it is not as hard to reach as it might sound. A temperature of 92 degrees with a relative humidity of 85 percent puts you there.

OK, NYT, when was the last time that happened in NYC? Probably never. In most non-tropical parts of the country, that is very difficult to achieve. People think it happens because they hear the humidity is 85% in the morning. Later they hear the high temp was 92. They think they humidity is still 85%. Won't happen. As the temp rises, the relative humidity drops. Sure, the 92 is easy, but you aren't going to find 85% humidity at the same time in most places.

[billhilly]

Woe is us. It is summer again, Expect some hot days.

[PGalt]

Worked most of the day yesterday (11am - 8pm) outside lifting many 40lb bags of rocks, sand, etc., and it was 96° in the shade. It felt great. Nice warm breeze. Summertime, sweet summertime.

[mad_as_he$$]

The chart won’t work here. We haven’t had 405 humidity in over a month. Daily it is more like 7-10%

[anymouse]

Down here is Houston, we live in the gray region of the heat index chart of 90 deg F and 90% humidity routinely. Coming from the dry West Coast originally, it took some time to get used to breathing water vapor.

[discostu]

Hey they cut off the chart before it got to proper western humidities, where’s my 105 with 8%?!

[Hoodlum91]

It’s a real temp of 101 in DC. That’s hot enought for me.