CLIMATE CHANGE LEADING TO RISE OF
WET-BULB TEMPERATURES HARMING
HUMAN
HEALTH
8,446 views
Aug 13, 2021
Down To Earth
322K subscribers
For more on Climate Change, visit downtoearth.org.in
On July 1, 2021, Delhi experienced a heatwave, when the maximum
temperature rose to 43.5°C. At the same time, Ganganagar, in west Rajasthan,
reported India's highest temperature of 44.5°C. Some pockets of Punjab,
Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, north Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh still
continue to face heat wave conditions. This issue is now prevalent world over.
But the world is not only getting hotter but also more wetter or humid.
We usually consider the dry-bulb temperature to describe how hot or cold
a place is. Scientists, however, have been stressing upon taking into account
humidity and other factors to assess how weather conditions will affect human
health and activity. Humidity is measured as wet-bulb temperature. Factoring in
the humidity along with the heat, called the heat index, helps us determine
what the temperature actually ‘feels like’. You may have noticed this in your
mobile phones and apps as well. Humidity combined with heat is deadlier for
human health and wellbeing. Currently, one phenomenon is severely testing the
human tolerance of this heat-humidity balance. Climate Change!
Humans with their sweat-based cooling system, have been well-designed to
beat the heat. But there is a limit to the level of heat and humidity we can
cope with. A wet-bulb temperature or WBT of 35°C mark is considered the maximum
limit of humidity that humans can handle. Beyond this, the body can no longer
effectively cool itself via perspiration.
Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the
Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi. We publish news and
analysis on issues that deal with sustainable development, which we scan
through the eyes of science and environment.
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