Title: Humid Heat Already Exceeding Human Tolerance in Some Regions | American Association for the Advancement of Science
Headings: Humid Heat Already Exceeding Human Tolerance in Some Regions
Humid Heat Already Exceeding Human Tolerance in Some Regions
Content: Humid Heat Already Exceeding Human Tolerance in Some Regions | American Association for the Advancement of Science
You are here
Home
News
Humid Heat Already Exceeding Human Tolerance in Some Regions
share
tweet
mail
8 May 2020
by: Colin O'Connor
A well-known measure called wet-bulb temperature has exceeded the temperature at which humans can no longer regulate body heat. | ydylg/Flickr
1
A well-known measure called wet-bulb temperature has exceeded the temperature at which humans can no longer regulate body heat. | ydylg/Flickr
Heat and humidity beyond human tolerance is occurring in some parts of the world faster than expected under global climate change, scientists report in the May 8 issue of Science Advances. Colin Raymond of Columbia University and colleagues are the first to present observational data showing that a well-known measure of humid heat called wet-bulb temperature has, in some places, already exceeded 35°C (95°F), the temperature at which humans can no longer regulate body heat. They also found that dangerous bouts of wet-bulb temperatures of over 27°C (80.6°F) have more than doubled since 1979. These extreme temperatures were not found in previous studies because occurrences were brief and highly localized, concentrated near the Persian Gulf, South Asia and the Gulf of California. "That these conditions are already occurring, and that people didn't realize they were already occurring gives extra incentive for figuring out how to adapt," said Raymond, who largely performed this research as a doctoral student at Columbia before beginning post-doctoral work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To keep cool, humans shed excess heat through sweat, which evaporates into the air. High humidity prevents sweat from evaporating as readily, making humid heat more dangerous than dry heat.