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Twiggy Forrest is a scientist. A real one actually with a Phd . So he understands and respects scientific understanding.
Health07 March 2022
By Carly Cassella
The human body might not cope with nearly as much heat and humidity as theory predicts.
One of the first studies to directly assess humid heat stress among young people has found that when humidity is at an absolute max, the upper limit of human adaptability is just 31°C (87 °F).
That's four degrees less than theoretical estimates, and for older people, the threshold is probably even lower.
Because humans cool themselves through evaporative cooling (as in, the sweat on your skin helps to cool you down), it's important to understand 'wet-bulb temperature', which incorporates both heat and humidity – the more humidity in the air relative to heat, the harder it is for evaporation to work.
Compared to hot and dry climates, the human body cannot withstand hot and humid climates nearly as well. That's because at 100 percent humidity, our sweat cannot dissipate as easily to cool our bodies down.
In an absolutely dry environment, the human threshold for survival is probably around 50 °C. But for a completely humid environment, the new results suggest temperatures need only reach 31 °C before our bodies go into heat stroke.
With prolonged exposure to such conditions, death is inevitable.
Extremely Hot, Humid Weather Could Kill a Person Far More Easily Than We Thought
Health07 March 2022
By Carly Cassella
The human body might not cope with nearly as much heat and humidity as theory predicts.
One of the first studies to directly assess humid heat stress among young people has found that when humidity is at an absolute max, the upper limit of human adaptability is just 31°C (87 °F).
That's four degrees less than theoretical estimates, and for older people, the threshold is probably even lower.
Because humans cool themselves through evaporative cooling (as in, the sweat on your skin helps to cool you down), it's important to understand 'wet-bulb temperature', which incorporates both heat and humidity – the more humidity in the air relative to heat, the harder it is for evaporation to work.
Compared to hot and dry climates, the human body cannot withstand hot and humid climates nearly as well. That's because at 100 percent humidity, our sweat cannot dissipate as easily to cool our bodies down.
In an absolutely dry environment, the human threshold for survival is probably around 50 °C. But for a completely humid environment, the new results suggest temperatures need only reach 31 °C before our bodies go into heat stroke.
With prolonged exposure to such conditions, death is inevitable.
Extremely Hot, Humid Weather Could Kill a Person Far More Easily Than We Thought
The human body might not cope with nearly as much heat and humidity as theory predicts.