Why is it hotter in an area thats very Humid than an area with very little humidity???

Question

I live in Texas

and where i live in Houston its very humid, but in Austin has very little humidity.

when i went to Austin it got up to 102, and it didnt feel that hot.

but when i drove back to Houston and it was like 94, yet the heat felt unbearable

can anyone explain this???

Answer 1

High humidity makes people feel hotter outside in the summer because it reduces the effectiveness of sweating to cool the body by preventing the evaporation of perspiration from the skin.

The sweat doesn't evaporate as much you don't cool down...

Answer 2

The body sweats in an attempt to cool itself down, but sweat can only take heat away from the body by evaporating.  Because the air is dry in Austin, the sweat evaporates readily and serves to cool you off.

In Houston, there is already so much water in the air that your sweat can only evaporate very slowly, if at all.  Your body continues to generate heat, but that heat doesn't dissipate.  The air temperature is lower, but you are hotter.

Answer 3

Your body cools itself by the evaporation of perspiration.

In dry air more cooling is available, so you actually are cooler,

and as the water is more completely carried off,

you don't feel so 'sticky'.

Answer 4

You've discovered the principle behind what's called the "heat index," the apparent temperature that takes into account humidity. It's not actually hotter out when the air is humid, of course, but it sure feels that way. You've probably heard the term "heat index" used in weather reports before.

To understand why, remember that your body sweats to cool off. The sweat builds up in a very thin layer on your skin, allowing it to evaporate easily. The evaporation of water is an endothermic process, meaning it requires the input of energy to occur. Thus, by sweating, and allowing the sweat to evaporate, your body gets rid of excess heat.

When the air is very humid, there is already a lot of water in the air. Since sweat is primarily water, it is less likely to be taken up by the air, and thus, your body is less capable of cooling off than it would have been in drier air.

Answer 5

more humidity means theres water in the air to transfer that heat to your skin.. dry heat is like a desert... and you feel it more slowly.  they get the heat index from the humidity and the actual temperature

Answer 6

your skin has sweat glands that help to regulate the temperature of your body by perspiring... the moisture evaporates from the skin surface and that makes you feel cooler..... when there's a lot of humidity in the air, the sweat cannot evaporate and release heat, so you feel too warm... in a dry climate, the sweat evaps quickly and cools you enough that you don't feel the heat as much.....