Understanding heat and humidity
The time for sun and fun is among us! Summertime is the time to break out the beach-gear and lather on that sunscreen, but before you get your fair share of that vitamin B, here is some information about the air that you are about to spend tons of time in…
The summer is notorious for the heat and humidity and every once in while you might hear something about the heat index. Humidity is the amount of water vapor that is in the air. The higher the humidity the "stickier" you feel, and the reason why is that when you sweat, it evaporates and cools the body down, but when there is high humidity the sweat isn't able to evaporate in the air and your body isn't able to cool itself down.
The combination of heat and high humility can make things feel bit uncomfortable. That is why forecasters use the heat index as a way to tell people how the air is going to feel to them. It is a calculation that takes in to account both the air temperature and the amount of humidity in the air to give a number to how hot it feels. Remember that the heat index is not a measure of the actual temperature, but what it might feel like.
For example, if the heat index is 100, the actual temperature may only be 90, but when you factor in the humidity it feels like 100 outside. A high heat index is dangerous because, in those conditions, people can become ill with heat exhaustion or heat stroke and the elderly and very young are more at risk. To avoid this heat-related illness try not to be out during the hottest hours of the day (noon -4pm), wear loose fitting clothing, and stay hydrated! More tips and trip in the article "15 Ways To Keep Cool When it's Hot"
No comments:
Post a Comment