100 Degrees is NOT 100 Degrees (F)! (climate, hot, record, temperatures)
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I really get annoyed when people make the comment about "a hot place is hot whether it's dry or humid". Really? Because why is that steam rooms, with 100% humidity, have to be at sometimes 90 degrees lower than saunas, which are in the high 100s?? Why is it that if a steam room was set at the same temp as a sauna, the heat would be unbearable?
I really understand this mindset of 100 = 100 when it comes to variances in humidity. I'd rather be in 100 in the dry desert than 100 degrees in the moist air of inland Louisiana. UGH!
Yes, the humidity definitely plays a role in determining how comfortable/liveable a given set of conditions is.
The idea that "dry heat" is more tolerable and comfortable than "humid heat" is certainly true, because human skin cools itself via the evaporation of sweat. If it is more humid, then less evaporation will occur, and thus our bodies' natural cooling mechanism is inhibited, therefore causing more discomfort.
For example, humans can survive at temperature of 160F (71C) at 1% RH for several hours (for example, in saunas). However, most humans would not be able to survive 160F with 20% RH for even a few minutes without getting heatstroke and organ damage, because the body can't cool itself as effectively in the latter scenario.
This is why people invented the idea of a "heat index" : to take into account the hindering effect that high humidity has on our body's ability to cool itself.
Personally, I've experienced a temperature of 110F in Phoenix once, and I've also experienced a heat index of 110F once on LI. I can tell you that the former was definitely more comfortable.
Real tropical climates very rarely get to 100 F because the humidity and the rain usually keep the temperatures plateauing in the low 90s range. I have never experienced a "humid" 100 F but I can say I find 90 F and humid very similar in comfort level to a "dry" low 100s. No need for a person to "survive" at 160 F at any dewpoint because those conditions don't exist on earth.
... No need for a person to "survive" at 160 F at any dewpoint because those conditions don't exist on earth.
Those temperatures do exist in saunas, which the OP mentioned. However, I agree with you in that the paragraph in my comment which you are referring to does seem a bit out of place.
Those temperatures do exist in saunas, which the OP mentioned. However, I agree with you in that the paragraph in my comment which you are referring to does seem a bit out of place.
In a sauna, if a person is uncomfortable, they can just step out into more "normal" temperatures way before their health is in danger. I was talking about outside in nature.
100 degrees is, by definition, 100 degrees. But I do agree that high humidity makes hot temperatures feel worse, we have had heat indices over 110 before but our record high is only 104. Something that irritates me is when some people say something like "On that day it was 100 degrees with 100% humidity!" Yeah right , that would mean the heat index would be 195F(91C)!
100 degrees is, by definition, 100 degrees. But I do agree that high humidity makes hot temperatures feel worse, we have had heat indices over 110 before but our record high is only 104. Something that irritates me is when some people say something like "On that day it was 100 degrees with 100% humidity!" Yeah right , that would mean the heat index would be 195F(91C)!
Most lay people have very little knowledge of weather so they probably believe that it was actually 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity and aren't even attempting to exaggerate.
I prefer the humid 100. I experienced it in both the summer of 2010 and summer of 2011 in the Washington DC Area. I also experienced a dry 111F in Las Vegas in the summer of 2011. Both are unpleasant, but for me, the dry heat feels like I'm in an oven and my skin is on fire. Plus, dry heat is more dangerous than humid heat, for the reasons explained in one of the posts above.
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, that would mean the heat index would be 195F(91C)!
