With the longer daylight hours, the temptation is to take advantage, but the three Hs of summer — hot, hazy, and humid — can make stepping outdoors very unpleasant. Humidity isn’t fun but in combination with temperatures greater than 27°C (that’s 80 Fahrenheit for the non-metric), the air feels heavier and more oppressive. Humidity is the reverse of the winter windchill factor effect and can drive you into air conditioned places you’d otherwise not enter. Expats have to learn to adapt as when you move, the weather doesn’t move with you.
Humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air. In the summer, your body cools off by evaporating sweat from the skin. The higher the humidity in the surrounding air, the less effective the evaporation from your skin and the hotter you feel. Many weather prediction services include a heat index that shows how hot it feels based on both the actual temperature and the relative humidity.
Hot, hazy and humid can be hazardous to your health
In addition to the moisture, smog and air particulates get trapped in the humid air and can irritate the lungs. Those who have breathing problems are usually advised to stay indoors with air conditioning.
An air conditioner effectively removes moisture (dehumidifies) and cools the air — that’s why there’s always water dripping from AC units. Running an air conditioner takes energy (heat), which is why the AC unit has to have an outside vent. Walking the streets of big cities in the summer is an exercise in avoiding AC drips and vents.
In North America, the East Coast have comparatively higher humidity summers than the West Coast. This has to do with the prevailing winds and how the water currents work in the Atlantic v. the Pacific. However, with the current trend of climate change, livable places on Earth — East, West and all points in between) may be few and far.
It may be hot now but without more forethought, global cooperation and action, the worse is yet to come.
