Hot, sticky and implacable: that has been the experience for much of the country this summer, including more than a dozen states that had a high record humidity in July.
Last month it was more mental than usual for most of the lower 48. Parts of the regions of the West, the East Coast and the Middle Atlantic, in particular, were intensely wet in July, according to preliminary data compiled by researchers from the State University of Oregon.
Warm and humid conditions are expected in the summer, but the values of the heat index, what conditions “are felt” when the humidity and temperatures of the air are combined, they shot well in the triple digits for prolonged periods of time in places like Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida last month.
Cities like Pittsburgh; Roanoke, Virginia; and Washington, DC, all registered their most humid July in the registered history, according to the figures compiled by the Iowa environmental meshonet, which collects and tracks data on precipitation, soil temperature and other environmental conditions. The city of New York and Raleigh, North Carolina, had their second most human July, while the humidity in Detroit and Cincinnati reached their third highest levels last month.
In Paduah, Kentucky, a brutal section of high heat and humidity from July 16 to 30, established a series of new records for the city.
“We have reached the end to the longest section of continuously high moisture that Paducah has witnessed in the last 75 years,” said the local branch of the National Meteorological Service on Thursday in an X position, and added that the amount of hours to “oppressive levels” of humidity exceeded 300% of the normal amount of the city for the month of July.
Wet days are expected to be more common as a result of climate change, because a warmer atmosphere can contain more moisture. But beyond the discomfort of a sticky summer, high humidity levels represent serious threats to health and public safety.
High heat index values increase the risk of disease and death related to heat, particularly between children, older adults and individuals with pre -existing health conditions. A 2022 study conducted by the non -profit organization Central Climate found that the combination of high heat and humidity can affect the body’s ability to cool through sweating.
“In many parts of the country and the world, dangerous heat often occurs along with high humidity, and the pair of conditions multiplies health risks,” the researchers wrote in their analysis.
A warmer atmosphere can also generate stronger storms that are capable of throwing large amounts of rain on the earth, often causing dangerous sudden floods.
So far this year, the National Meteorological Service has issued more than 3,000 warnings of sudden floods, the highest registered number, according to data from the Iowa State University.
Catastrophic floods last month killed at least 120 people in the country of the country of the Center of Texas, while several storm rounds flooded New Mexico several times in the period of a few weeks in July. On Thursday, just at the end of the month, the intense storms hit New York City and the surrounding Tristada area, wreaking havoc during the people’s trip.
