Post by chesternz on May 21, 2020 8:09:05 GMT -5
In your subjective opinion, does the heat index reflect how hot you really feel? Do you think it understates or overstates the effect of humidity? For reference:
For instance, right now it's 32 C @ 70% humidity. According to the chart above, that should "feel like" 41 C. It certainly does feel hot and steamy, but probably not to that extent IMO. But personally, I just think it's trying to equate two intrinsically different things. Hot and dry heat feels completely different from (less) hot and humid heat.
One time I got to experience both conditions back-to-back, which was interesting. Once I went to India in June. One day I was in Kochi with something like 33 C @ 70% humidity. The next day I was in Delhi with 40 C @ 25% humidity. I can say that the latter felt MUCH more comfortable. Both felt uncomfortably hot and made me sweat like a pig, but the difference in Delhi was that my sweat evaporated much more quickly and my shirt wasn't soaked through and sticking to my back the same way. TBH, having my clothes get soaked with sweat is much worse than the actual heat for me, so I found Delhi much better even though the heat indices would be very similar.
Having said that, the heat in Delhi hit a lot harder when walking out of an air conditioned space. Somewhere like Kochi (or here in Bangkok) I notice the humidity before I notice the heat. Maybe some of you know what I'm talking about - that feeling of choking on the steamy air, like when someone forgets to open the bathroom window when taking a long, hot shower. Delhi was more like getting into your car on a hot sunny day when you forgot to crack the window.
For instance, right now it's 32 C @ 70% humidity. According to the chart above, that should "feel like" 41 C. It certainly does feel hot and steamy, but probably not to that extent IMO. But personally, I just think it's trying to equate two intrinsically different things. Hot and dry heat feels completely different from (less) hot and humid heat.
One time I got to experience both conditions back-to-back, which was interesting. Once I went to India in June. One day I was in Kochi with something like 33 C @ 70% humidity. The next day I was in Delhi with 40 C @ 25% humidity. I can say that the latter felt MUCH more comfortable. Both felt uncomfortably hot and made me sweat like a pig, but the difference in Delhi was that my sweat evaporated much more quickly and my shirt wasn't soaked through and sticking to my back the same way. TBH, having my clothes get soaked with sweat is much worse than the actual heat for me, so I found Delhi much better even though the heat indices would be very similar.
Having said that, the heat in Delhi hit a lot harder when walking out of an air conditioned space. Somewhere like Kochi (or here in Bangkok) I notice the humidity before I notice the heat. Maybe some of you know what I'm talking about - that feeling of choking on the steamy air, like when someone forgets to open the bathroom window when taking a long, hot shower. Delhi was more like getting into your car on a hot sunny day when you forgot to crack the window.
