Deadly ‘Wet-Bulb’ Temperatures Are Smothering the Eastern U.S.
An oppressive heat dome has gripped the eastern U.S. this week, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue heat warnings for nearly 170 million Americans. To make matters worse, severe humidity is making high temperatures feel even hotter. Extreme heat and humidity make for a deadly combination. The human body lowers its temperature by sweating, and when sweat evaporates, it cools the surface of the skin. Humidity slows this process down, increasing the risk of heat-related illness. To extrapolate the combined physiological impact of heat and humidity, meteorologists look at the wet-bulb...
