6 Apr 2008

Dry heat versus humidity

Filed under: Bits and Bytes by Hari
Posted at 18:37:13 IST (last updated: 16 Jul 2008 @ 21:35:50 IST)
I'm just back from my four-day long holiday to Kulithalai (my grandmother's native place, in Karur District, Tamil Nadu). The Indian summer has well and truly arrived. Although I'm used to high temperatures, what really gets me is the dryness of the heat in the interior regions of the country. Heat with high humidity I can tolerate, because I sweat a lot and cool off in the process, but the kind of heat you encounter in interior South India in summer has to be experienced to be understood. You can almost see the waves of radiation off the rocky countryside in some places. This is heat of the throat-parching, head-splitting variety, not the sweaty, steam-bath kind which has the effect of sapping your energy, but is otherwise tolerable.

In any case, I'm back home now. Still recovering from the after-effects of the journey though. :)

20 comment(s)

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  1. I grew up in the dry heat. To me, the high humidity of the Philippines is much worse.

    I guess it depends on what you become accustomed to.

    Comment by RT Cunningham (visitor) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 09:09:53 IST #
  2. I guess it does. I agree that humidity can get aggravating when it goes up above 95% but it does have its advantages.

    What really upsets me is when I'm unable to sweat much... then my whole body heats up uncomfortably and I end up with a headache.

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 09:13:40 IST #
  3. Hi

    Welcome back...

    Comment by Shrinidhi (visitor) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 09:16:51 IST #
  4. Thanks, Shrinidhi. :)

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 09:24:22 IST #
  5. Yup... welcome back! And speaking about humid summers --- try boarding a Kolkata bus for an hour during 10-11 a.m. from one point to another. I'm pretty sure you will immediately find newer dimensions to the meaning ;)

    Comment by Sudipta Chatterjee (visitor) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 12:12:13 IST #
  6. Sudipta, thanks. Well, you don't have to tell me. I have an idea what that would feel like.

    I pity those salesman who wear ties, full arm starched shirts and walk around in the blazing April sun. Maybe the companies deliberately do this to invoke our pity and make us buy their products. :))

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 12:26:42 IST #
  7. Welcome back Hari. I prefer dry heat as I feel less uncomfortable, though a small amount of humidity is bearable.

    I'm just glad I don't need to use the London Underground this summer - now that *is* unbearable!

    Comment by ray (visitor) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 15:42:45 IST #
  8. Ray, well, I wouldn't call English weather hot at any time of the year. ;)

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 18:01:46 IST #
  9. I prefer dry heat myself. Alberta can get pretty hot in the summer in the south portion, up to 42 Celsius, and generally those areas have very little rainfall so are quite dry.
    My visits to humid areas of the world I recall were filled with suffering. I am sure I would get used to it.

    Comment by Tim (visitor) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 21:00:27 IST #
  10. Tim, I guess it's a matter of the body adjusting to the rate of perspiration more than anything else.

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 7 Apr 2008 @ 21:12:50 IST #
  11. 42 Celsius? I kill for such temperatures here in Texas. It's hot and humid here in Texas. The dry heat doesn't bother me but when you sit in the shade and sweat because it's 95% humidity outside, it's just better to stay inside on such days.

    Dry heat is much better. When it's 110 Fahrenheit or 61 Celsius (for those that don't use our stupid American Fahrenheit conversion) and you can stand under the shade and it feels like it drops 20 degrees, I'll take that over humidity that makes no difference in the shade or sun.

    Comment by drew (visitor) on 8 Apr 2008 @ 07:26:08 IST #
  12. I agree that 95% humidity can get very uncomfortable, but dry heat actually makes me feel sick while humid heat just makes me feel sweaty and uncomfortable.

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 8 Apr 2008 @ 08:03:17 IST #
  13. @drew- according to google,
    110 degrees Fahrenheit = 43.3333333 degrees Celsius. And according to http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/MichaelLevin.shtml the hottest temperature ever was 58 C (136.4F) in Libya. (42 C = 107.6 F)
    :>

    @hari- humidity is gross. Re the dry heat, you need to drink more water if you're getting headaches, wear a hat and stay in the shade. I much prefer the dry heat. :) But, when it is so dry your skin cracks, that's nasty too.

    Comment by (visitor) on 8 Apr 2008 @ 19:50:36 IST #
  14. Ah your right. I clicked the wrong thing on an online conversion I used online.

    Comment by drew (visitor) on 9 Apr 2008 @ 07:41:02 IST #
  15. Looks like I've been outvoted on this issue 88| :P

    Guess the preference is between getting stewed or getting baked.

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 9 Apr 2008 @ 20:45:00 IST #
  16. I haven't had the luxury of comparing both types. All I've known is the humid heat or chill. I know that when it gets into the high 30's°C that it won't be any fun at all.

    Comment by MrCorey (visitor) on 11 Apr 2008 @ 08:11:52 IST #
  17. Luxury, MrCorey? Did you say Luxury? :?:

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on 11 Apr 2008 @ 08:30:37 IST #
  18. well both are bad
    i live in las vegas which is not an oasis.
    but i say dry heat is worse
    , because when u go out ur skin gets all dried up and the sun bakes it u get burnt and its duty here so u get home and u feel dirty and u skin feels like its on fire and u go to take a shower and warm water feels hot because of the burn and u either take a cold shower or suck it up

    but humidty sucks too i went to waldron arkansas for a few weeks and EVERYTHING is sticky u go out for a lil run or something and u body just feels all sticky like glue, and u sweat alot.. but i didnt find it all that bad just a lil annoying.... maybe it was just me but
    i do know dry heat is NOT the business

    Comment by Nick Obrian (visitor) on 8 Apr 2009 @ 03:58:23 IST #
  19. not duty dusty** sorry

    Comment by Nick Obrian (visitor) on 8 Apr 2009 @ 04:00:35 IST #
  20. Thanks for the insight Nick. Having lived all my life in humid weather, I think my body has got adjusted to that sweatiness and it doesn't feel very unnaturally uncomfortable to me.

    Comment by Hari (blog owner) on 12 Apr 2009 @ 20:36:54 IST #

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