Dry heat vs humid heat with same heat index (hottest, temperatures, days)

[bronski]

Given the same heat index would you prefer dry heat or humid heat?

For example a 32c(90f) with a d.p. of 25c(77f) or 42c(108f) with a d.p. of 5c(41f)? Both yield a heat index of 39c(102f).

Personally I can't answer it since I've never experienced the latter scenario although the former scenario happens nearly daily regardless of month. I really want to experience dry heat once or twice just to know how it feels.

[Bottletree]

The humid example is much better IMO. I have experienced both of these situations 2 days apart before(Nebraska and Nevada).

Dry heat at that temperature is just painful, it dries out skin and eyes and you dehydrate without knowing it.

[Cambium]

I've experienced both and the dry heat wins in my books. So much easier to drink fluids than to get oxygen.

Do they issue life threatening excessive heat warnings when dew points are low? I've seen them more when temps and dew points are high, not just temps. Easier to manage life with a dry heat. Just need liquids and shade.

Shade doesn't even help humid heat. You need to be indoors...or in water.

[Caleb Yeung]

I suppose humid heat is better.

[mar89]

The humid one is much better.

42°C with ur 10% is terrible, feels like a roasted chicken.
32°C with ur 70% sounds good, hot but comfortable. It's common here during summer.

[EverBlack]

Both seem brutal! However, I choose the dry one because I think it may be cooler in the shade, since the air doesn't contain a lot of water vapor.

[Ethereal]

42C with a 5C is still much more comfortable.

32C with 25C would actually feel more hellish. It will feel like a sauna room.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by theropod

42C with a 5C is still much more comfortable.

32C with 25C would actually feel more hellish. It will feel like a sauna room.

Great analogy. If anyone has been in a sauna room they will understand. Imagine that room the entire outdoors.

[lvoc]

Las Vegans live through the dry quite regularly. Generally in late June we get some of our hottest temperatures but bone dry. And that is actually much nicer than the somewhat lower peaks a month later with the monsoon driven humidity getting up into the 20% rh range.

[Tall Traveler]

I grew up in New Orleans with brutal humidity and have spent considerable time in the desert southwest and I much prefer the hotter temp dry heat over the humid heat...not even close.