Is dry heat really better then humid heat? (sunshine, moving, normal)

[Patricius Maximus]

Below is what I posted in another thread about humidity. Put me in the "dry heat" camp.

Originally Posted by Patricius Maximus

For what it's worth I detest high humidity. If I could have my way, I would never see another dew point above 60F as long as I live. When it isn't raining or snowing, I like relative humidity to be around 20%.

I also have a high capacity to acclimatize to lower dew points. Right now for some weird reason I perceive it to be humid whenever the dew point is above 20F. A dew of 10-15F feels about right, and these are dew points that would cause nose bleeds in some other people, so although I have very limited experience with 1% humidities, I imagine I wouldn't experience the problems other people report (at least not to the same degree).

[...]

*By the way, what's wrong with dry heat? If I had to pick my poison, I'd pick dry heat over humid heat any day. The landscapes in the places I mention are certainly drier than more humid places, but they're pretty far removed from being a desert. I like a drier landscape myself, but I don't mind if you prefer a lusher environment. Just be aware that not deserts are not the only option if you want low humidity.

[xeric]

I really love dry heat, but am fond of humid heat as well (when you're a heat lover living where I live, you've got to take what you can get). I also recognize a third type: "magnifying glass heat". This is what you get in dry or semi-arid higher elevations when you are in direct sunlight (even though the shade temperature can be substantially lower).

[Joe90]

Originally Posted by xeric

I really love dry heat, but am fond of humid heat as well (when you're a heat lover living where I live, you've got to take what you can get). I also recognize a third type: "magnifying glass heat". This is what you get in dry or semi-arid higher elevations when you are in direct sunlight (even though the shade temperature can be substantially lower).

I think this can also happen in wetter climates, after rain has cleared. The sun feels a lot hotter.

[Hawaii4evr]

Yup, they say Florida's like that.

[cBach]

I'd say dewpoints should mainly be between 45 and 60 with excursions down to 35 and up to 70.

[Ethereal]

Dry heat is much more tolerable. The air is breathable and the shade can still give you relief.

Humid heat is hellish - breathing is hard, sweating is excessive even if you're doing anything. Thankfully we don't get it much (well, unless you count 24C with 20C dewpoint as 'humid heat' - that's the furthest we can get with 'humid heat').

[Wildcat15]

Originally Posted by Joe90

I think this can also happen in wetter climates, after rain has cleared. The sun feels a lot hotter.

Originally Posted by Hawaii4evr

Yup, they say Florida's like that.

I know what you're talking about! When clouds break and the sun shines on wet pavement it feels remarkably hot, I experienced this last summer. I thought it was just the abrupt change from being cloudy that made it seem this way, but apparently there is really a difference.

[Alkis]

In my home city Serres Greece at summer we suffer from all kinds of heat. We have humid hot nights and dry hot days. All the day you feel uncomfortable and sticky! Temperatures are usually between 20 - 35 C in a normal day and during heat waves exceed 40 C and at night doesn' t fall down to 25 C! Oven!!!

[Chava61]

From my personal experience in the summertime, dry heat is better and more tolerable than humid heat. But in the wintertime, dry indoor heating is less tolerable than humidity mixed in with the heating system.

[Max96]

Dry heat is better, but not much. Any kind of heat feel miserable to me. Fortunately, Kharkiv doesn't get hot rain even in summer and it always feels cool and refreshing.