About Moist Heatwave:
- Moist heatwaves are triggered by a combined impact of high temperatures and elevated humidity levels in the atmosphere.
- The best way to measure the combined effect of humidity and temperature is ‘wet bulb temperature’.
- Wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature to which air can be cooled by the evaporation of water into the air at constant pressure.
- This is a process happening on human skin when people sweat.
- The globally accepted level for wet bulb temperature that forms the limit of human survivability is 35°C.
Impact of Moist Heatwaves on Human:
- When air is already humid, sweat cannot evaporate from skin, leaving the body unable to cool itself. This can lead to heat exhaustion and fatal heatstroke within hours.
- It is because high humidity impairs evaporation, limiting the human body’s ability to dissipate metabolic heat and regulate core temperature.
- In such circumstances, the physiological strain on the human body intensifies, exacerbating the risks of cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses.
- A thermoregulatory failure can lead to hyperthermia, heat exhaustion, and fatal heatstroke in extreme cases.
