With my extremely limited knowledge of thermodynamics, it seems like high humidity would provide enough water to transfer some of the summer heat.
Is it enough to make a difference?
Prompted by my [r/unpopularopinion post](https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/ic8rd8/humid_heat_is_better_than_dry_heat/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
Thanks so much for your responses! I had no idea that cooling came from the evaporation of sweat versus the just having water on you. I was going to reply to everyone, but the response seems to be the same across the board. I really appreciated everyone taking the time to educate little ole me 🙂
In: Physics
High humidity blocks your body’s ability to effectively shed heat. We produce sweat to help us cool effectively, and when sweat gets evaporated by the environment, it cools us. When there’s a lot of water in the air already (humidity), sweat doesn’t get evaporated as well.
This is also why there are significant heat illness/stroke issues in the southeast. Additionally, elderly have a decreased ability due to age to effectively cool themselves, placing them at higher risk for those issues as well.
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