Relative humidity touches 82%, denizens sweat it out

HYDERABAD: After days of pleasant weather, owing to heavy showers, a sharp rise in humidity levels left people sweating in the city. While the maximum temperature on Monday was 34 degrees celsius, three degrees higher than the seasonal average, the relative humidity was 82% in the morning.

"The rising humidity levels are because of moisture-laden winds blowing from the eastern parts of the country ," said

Y K Reddy

, director (in-charge) of IMD, Hyderabad. "Heat coupled with moisture-filled air, is bound to lead to discomfort," he said. A study conducted by the

Indian Meteorological Department

and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology , Pune, earlier this year said that the city shows increasing trends of monsoon heat index. Simply put, the higher the heat index, the hotter one feels.

The study found that 10 me ga cities have been showing increasing trends in monsoon heat index. Mega cities are densely packed with people, buildings, industries and motor vehicles. Heat released in the atmosphere gets trapped, meaning the ambient temperature is often higher than the immediate surroundings.

The study authored by AK Jaswal, a retired meteorologist from IMD, said: `Wind helps evaporate sweat and cools the body .Spatially , the trend of heat index increase is significant across the country , suggesting a substantial rise in human discomfort and illness aggravated by climate change."

Researchers used monthly average maximum temperatures and relative humidity records from as many as 283 meteorological stations in India to analySe the heat index during the summer from March to May and monsoon from June to September over the past 60 years: 1951to 2010."The heat during the day is unbearable. The temperature is fluctuating and making life difficult," said Srinivas Kumar, a local of Banjara Hills.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.