Sunday Apr 6, 2008

Dry heat versus humidity

Posted at 06:37:13 pm by hari under Bits and Bytes (1064 views)

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.

17 comments

Comment from: RT Cunningham [Visitor] · http://www.untwistedvortex.com/

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.

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 09:09

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

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.

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 09:13

Comment from: Shrinidhi [Visitor] · http://www.enidhi.com

Hi

Welcome back...

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 09:16

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

Thanks, Shrinidhi.

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 09:24

Comment from: Sudipta Chatterjee [Visitor] · http://sudiptachatterjee.blogspot.com

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

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 12:12

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

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. :))

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 12:26

Comment from: ray [Visitor] · http://lostaddress.org

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!

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 15:42

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

Ray, well, I wouldn't call English weather hot at any time of the year.

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 18:01

Comment from: Tim [Visitor] · http://reddeerdigest.com/

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.

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 21:00

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

Tim, I guess it's a matter of the body adjusting to the rate of perspiration more than anything else.

Monday Apr 7, 2008 @ 21:12

Comment from: drew [Visitor] · http://trickykid.org

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.

Tuesday Apr 8, 2008 @ 07:26

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

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.

Tuesday Apr 8, 2008 @ 08:03

Comment from: titanium [Member] · http://www.creativehedgehog.com

@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.

Tuesday Apr 8, 2008 @ 19:50

Comment from: drew [Visitor] · http://trickykid.org

Ah your right. I clicked the wrong thing on an online conversion I used online.

Wednesday Apr 9, 2008 @ 07:41

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

Looks like I've been outvoted on this issue 88|

Guess the preference is between getting stewed or getting baked.

Wednesday Apr 9, 2008 @ 20:45

Comment from: MrCorey [Visitor] · http://coreythompson.com

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.

Friday Apr 11, 2008 @ 08:11

Comment from: hari [Member] · http://literaryforums.org

Luxury, MrCorey? Did you say Luxury? :?: