What is the hottest temperature humans can survive?

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What is the hottest temperature that a human can survive without dying? I’ve heard people are in certain parts of California and it 122 degrees Ferenheit. Is it physically possible for a human body to withstand that type of heat?

In: Biology

26 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Humans can barely survive 122°F; anything higher without cooling is a death sentence. Climate change is pushing us closer to these lethal temperatures.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The short answer is that for a prolonged period of time the “wet bulb temperature ” must be a little bit below the human body’s temperature (and you have to be in the shade).

The wet bulb temperature, is the temperature a wet cloth with ample ventilation reaches – ie the lowest possible temperature to reach via evaporation. If ambient humidity is high, evaporation is less effective. So you can endure the highest temperatures at zero percent humidity (ie extremely dry heat).

The human body can only cool itself via evaporation, so when it becomes impossible to cool the body to its natural temperature via evaporation, it will gradually overheat.

At 90 degree Celsius (194 degree Fahrenheit) the wet bulb temperature at zero percent ambient humidity is around 2 degrees below the body temperature, so that would be my estimate for the highest possible temperature a human can endure over a long period.

Anonymous 0 Comments

For how long? I can take very humid over 212 F in sauna for a few minutes. I imagine dry air could be even hotter.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Temperature only tells you about the average speed of the particles of the medium you’re in. If you were at a low enough pressure, you’d be fine even if the temperature was thousands of Kelvin (provided you have an oxygen mask). Then, however, an extremely low pressure could kill you as well by forming bubbles in your blood and what not.

There are too many variables in this scenario to be able to give a meaningful answer

Anonymous 0 Comments

That really depends for how long. There are saunas that go above 100°C (212F).

But it’s a very different story when you have to stay in such a temperature for a day, and not just 10 minutes.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’ve endured 100+ at high humidity in the sun feels like 115f. Possibly higher for several hours at a time. Seen a few people with me pass out but I’m pretty light and like the heat. You have to drink insane amounts of water to do it though, like 3-5l per hour consistently. If you don’t you stop sweating and start feeling really funky.