This Summer Has Been Unrelentingly Hot. Humidity Is Making It Feel Worse.

Hot, sticky and unrelenting: That has been nan acquisition for overmuch of nan state this summer, including much than a twelve states that had grounds precocious humidity successful July.

Last period was muggier than accustomed for nan mostly of nan Lower 48. Parts of nan Midwest, East Coast and mid-Atlantic regions, successful particular, were intensely humid successful July, according to preliminary data compiled by researchers astatine Oregon State University.

Hot and humid conditions are to beryllium expected successful nan summer, but power scale values — what conditions “feel like” erstwhile humidity and aerial temperatures are mixed — soared good into nan triple digits for extended periods of clip successful places specified arsenic Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida past month.

Cities specified arsenic Pittsburgh; Roanoke, Virginia; and Washington, D.C., each registered their astir humid July successful recorded history, according to figures compiled by nan Iowa Environmental Mesonet, which collects and tracks information connected precipitation, ungraded somesthesia and different biology conditions. New York City and Raleigh, North Carolina, had their second-most-humid July, while humidity successful Detroit and Cincinnati reached their third-highest levels past month.

In Paducah, Kentucky, a sadistic agelong of precocious power and humidity from July 16 to 30 group a slew of caller records for nan city.

“We person reached nan extremity to nan longest agelong of continuously precocious humidity that Paducah has witnessed successful nan past 75 years,” nan section branch of nan National Weather Service said Thursday successful a station connected X, adding that nan number of hours astatine “oppressive levels” of humidity exceeded 300% of nan city’s normal magnitude for nan period of July.

Humid days are expected to beryllium much communal arsenic a consequence of ambiance change, because a warmer ambiance tin clasp much moisture. But beyond nan discomfort of a sticky summer, soaring humidity levels airs superior threats to wellness and nationalist safety.

High power scale values summation nan consequence of heat-related unwellness and death, peculiarly among children, older adults and individuals pinch pre-existing wellness conditions. A 2022 study by nan nonprofit statement Climate Central recovered that nan operation of precocious power and humidity tin impact nan body’s expertise to cool itself down done sweating.

“In galore parts of nan state and nan globe, vulnerable power often occurs on pinch precocious humidity — and nan brace of conditions multiplies nan wellness risks,” nan researchers wrote successful their analysis.

A warmer ambiance tin besides spawn stronger storms that are tin of dumping immense amounts of rainfall complete land, often causing vulnerable flash flooding.

So acold this year, more than 3,000 flash flood warnings person been issued by nan National Weather Service — nan highest number connected record, according to information from Iowa State University.

Catastrophic flooding past period killed astatine slightest 120 people successful cardinal Texas’ Hill Country region, while respective rounds of storms inundated parts of New Mexico aggregate times successful nan span of a fewer weeks successful July. On Thursday, correct astatine nan extremity of nan month, intense storms pummeled New York City and nan surrounding tristate area, wreaking havoc during people’s evening commute.