What causes humidity?
The amount of water vapor in the air constitutes the level of humidity. Humans use sweating in order to reduce body heat when it’s hot, but when there are high levels of humidity our bodies are prevented from using this method as a cooling down process. Very humid conditions increase the chances of dew, fog, and precipitation. There are various devices used for measuring and the regulation of humidity; a hygrometer or psychrometer is used to regulate humidity, whilst a dehumidifier can be used indoors to help with the reduction of humidity. On a worldwide scale, satellites are used to measure humidity. These are very useful for weather predictions and detecting storms.
What is relative humidity?
Relative humidity is the measure of moisture in the air. If the relative humidity is 100% then this means that the moisture content has reached the highest possible point for any given temperature. The amount of humidity present depends on a number of factors, but condensation and evaporation has a lot to do with the process. Large amounts of water evaporate into atmospheric water vapor; this has a particular effect when it happens in conjunction with huge areas of water, such as the world’s oceans. This evaporation process happens because of heat that is generated from the ocean surface, and the absorption of solar radiation. The dew point is also relevant to the humidity factor, when the dew point is below freezing it is known as the frost point. The dew point occurs when a mass of air has a relative humidity of 100%.
What are the effects of humidity?
The level of humidity can alter many different things in life. It has an adverse affect on the weather, it makes us feel uncomfortable, and it can also have a strong effect on electronic devices. Whether the humidity level is too high or too low, it can be fatal for various electronic equipment. If it’s too cold, the materials can become brittle, and that is not good for the function of the device. Being too hot can cause condensation leading to short circuits inside the equipment. High humidity can even cause the corrosion of parts in electronic devices. Low humidity creates a build up of static. Therefore, the measure of humidity is important to electronic businesses and data information centers.
What are the regions of the world most susceptible to humidity?
The places in the world that are the most humid are generally found close to the equator and near coastal regions. The Philippines and Thailand have severely humid conditions throughout their rainy season. Australia, and particularly, Darwin also has a very humid rainy season from December to April. Washington, in the US is said to have the highest humidity in the country. The lowest humidity is noted to be in Yuma, Arizona. The lowest humidity in the world is found in Antarctica.
