What is “wet bulb temperature” and why does it matter?

Question

What is “wet bulb temperature” and why does it matter?

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Answer 1

Wet bulb temperature is the theoretical coolest temperature that evaporative cooling will get you to.

(Evaporative cooling is the process of wet things evaporating off their moisture and some of their heat along with it. That’s why sweat keeps you cool.)

At extreme heat and humidity, sweating physically cannot keep you cool enough to survive longer than a few hours. These are called “wet bulb events.”

The maximum survivable wet bulb temperature is actually cooler than body temperature (somewhere between 88F and 95F), because wet bulb thermometers do not generate body heat, thus can get cooler than a human body.