Dubai: It’s 7pm and the mercury reads at just 30 degrees Celsius yet it feels like it’s much hotter than that. You’re sweating profusely but you feel like you’re overheating. Don’t blame the heat though, blame the humidity.
Nights have been more uncomfortably sticky lately, especially in the coastal areas and the western part of the country. Weather forecasters at the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology said it would stay that way for the next two days.
“The air mass coming from the north and passing over the Arabian Gulf is increasing the relative humidity at night and early morning over land. The wind speed is moderate in general, making humid air concentrated over the land,” a forecaster said.
On Monday, the mercury will hover between 43C and 47C during the daytime and will drop to 30C to 33C during the night. Although there is a significant decrease in temperature at night, humidity will shoot up from between five per cent and 15 per cent during the daytime to 50 per cent to 60 per cent and even a high of 90 per cent to 100 per cent in some parts.
This drop in temperature is less likely felt by the body because the apparent temperature or heat index is high. Heat index measures how hot it really feels when relative humidity is taken into consideration along with the actual air temperature. Residents nowadays depend on this as it’s a popular barometer on today’s smartphones.
So, for example, on Monday, in Al Ruwais, even if the temperature is 31C, if the humidity level is at 90 per cent to 100 per cent, it will still feel like it is 41C to 44C.
The forecaster said high humidity levels in the UAE are not unusual at this time of the year. The rise and fall of humidity levels depend on the direction of the wind affecting the country.
“Relative humidity will change a bit on Tuesday, it will decrease a bit in the interior parts but the coastal and western part of the country will remain humid,” the forecaster said.
Dr Atul Aundhekar, Chief Medical Director and CEO of Axon Medica, said the body’s heat-regulating functions are hampered by high humidity outdoors.
“The heat receptors in the body positively react to the surrounding ambient temperature. Sweating is the body’s mechanism to maintain temperature equilibrium,” Dr Aundhekar told Gulf News.
“The normal body temperature of 37.2C is maintained to ensure proper bodily functions. The body regulates internal temperature by burning fat or sugar to generate energy and heat when it’s cold. When it’s hot, the body sweats and, when the sweat evaporates, it creates a cooling effect. This is the way the body manages its temperature,” he added.
If humidity levels are high, the air is already saturated with water, making the rate of evaporation slower. If sweat evaporates slowly, the body’s natural way of eliminating heat through sweat slows down as well.
“High humidity triggers the functioning of oil glands that make you feel exhausted. Humid air also causes difficulty breathing [because the air is heavy]. The heaviness in the air also makes people with vertigo feel giddy because the labyrinth in the ear misinterprets it,” Dr Aundhekar said.
The best way to avoid feeling exhausted at night due to high humidity is non-exposure, Dr Aundhekar said. Stay indoors at night and keep yourself hydrated. Consuming citrus fruits and replacing lost electrolytes are also key.
