Rising Humidity Levels: How the Last 40 Years Have Changed India’s Climate

Speedy Summary

• A heat wave with record temperatures and high humidity has taken over the midwestern and eastern U.S. due to a weather phenomenon known as a “heat dome.”
• Humidity is caused by water vapor evaporating into the air; in wetter regions, summertime patterns can increase moisture levels considerably.
• High humidity makes sweating less effective at cooling the body, often causing heat-related illnesses such as exhaustion or stroke.
• The “wet bulb effect” explains limits of human survival when heat and humidity prevent proper cooling mechanisms; even temperatures of 88°F can be hazardous depending on conditions.
• Climate change is contributing to more severe humid heat waves, especially at night where urban areas retain excess warmth due to asphalt and concrete surfaces.
• Experts recommend creating personal action plans (hydration, cold showers, access to cooling centers) for extreme weather given rising risks of prolonged high heat exposure.

Image: Sweating mechanism explained: Read More

Indian Opinion Analysis
Although this article focuses on the U.S., its findings have potential implications for India as parts of the nation experience increasingly severe summer climates compounded by growing urbanization trends like concrete expansion and reduced green spaces. India’s cities already encounter urban heat island effects alongside limited nighttime cooling-stressors similar to what this study highlights for American cities during humid events.

Further parallels include reliance on electricity grids vulnerable during peak demand periods amidst rising temperatures-creating risks of power outages or insufficient resources such as air conditioning for vulnerable populations (like outdoor workers). For India, targeted planning may involve implementing widespread public “cool zones,” sustainable city designs prioritizing tree cover or water retention systems near dense residential hubs like Delhi/Mumbai which face compounding summer intensities affecting human productivity directly amidst global temperature escalations requiring longer-term mitigations overall neutrality framework aligns .