From melting ice caps in Antarctica and Greenland to severe droughts, which have doubled the number of wildfires in the western United States between 1984 and 2015 – climate change anxiety is rising, and so is the willingness to act on it.
However climate change concerns more than just global temperature; it also affects humidity levels. We all know that too much heat can be dangerous for us, with the potential to cause heat exhaustion, dehydration and, in severe cases, death. But when you combine high temperatures with high humidity, your body will have an even harder time trying to cool itself off.
Luckily there are ways to combat this. Staying hydrated, taking cool showers and wearing loose clothing are the obvious solutions. Using a fan or investing in a dehumidifier will prevent air from becoming stale, humid, and hot.
But which cities have the best and worst humidity comfort level? HouseFresh has collected humidity data from Weather Spark for 18,830 cities across the world on their muggiest day of the year.
But how is the humidity comfort level measured?
As Weather Spark explains on their website, they “base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.”
Here are the most humid cities in the world:
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40. Singapore, Singapore
Humidity Level: 80.1%
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
39. Karachi, Pakistan
Humidity Level: 80.9%
Image Credit: Umar Kashif Thanvi/iStock.
38. Assab, Eritrea
Humidity Level: 81.6%
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
37. Robertsport, Liberia
Humidity Level: 81.6%
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
36. Macapá, Brazil
Humidity Level: 82.5%
Image Credit: Roman_Rahm/iStock.
35. Port-Gentil, Gabon
Humidity Level: 83.0%
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
34. Colón, Panama
Humidity Level: 83.4%
Image Credit: Marina113/iStock.
33. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Humidity Level: 83.6%
Image Credit: jikgoe/iStock.
32. Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
Humidity Level: 83.9%
Image Credit: f9photos / istockphoto.
31.Savannakhet, Laos
Humidity Level: 83.9%
Image Credit: urf/iStock.
30. Jizan, Saudi Arabia
Humidity Level: 84.4%
Image Credit: Felix Friebe/iStock.
29. Naha, Japan
Humidity Level: 85.1%
Image Credit: wataru aoki/iStock.
28.Obock, Djibouti
Humidity Level: 85.1%
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
27. Kribi, Cameroon
Humidity Level: 86.6%
Image Credit: Tse Ernest Chi/iStock.
26.Gouyave, Grenada
Humidity Level: 86.7%
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
25. Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
Humidity Level: 86.9%
Image Credit: petrenkod/iStock.
24. Aného, Togo
Humidity Level: 88.8%
Image Credit: Africanway/iStock.
23. Río Campo, Equatorial Guinea
Humidity Level: 89.3%
Image Credit: Jan Ziegler / iStock.
22.Grand-Popo, Benin
Humidity Level: 90.0%
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
21. Anloga, Ghana
Humidity Level: 90.2%
Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.
20. Balikpapan, Indonesia
Humidity Level: 91.2%
Image Credit: David bm/iStock.
19. Chanthaburi, Thailand
Humidity Level: 91.6%
Image Credit: trusjom/iStock.
18. Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Humidity Level: 92.1%
Image Credit: jackmalipan/iStock.
17. Al Khawkhah, Yemen
Humidity Level: 92.3%
Image Credit: HomoCosmicos/iStock.
16.Jacqueville, Côte d’Ivoire
Humidity Level: 92.5%
Africa is the second-largest continent in the world both in size and population, after Asia in both cases. On September 13th, 1922, the world’s hottest temperature was recorded at 57.8 degrees (136.0 °F) in ‘Aziziya, Libya. However, this was later proven to be an inaccurate reading of a thermometer. The hottest temperature on record is, in fact, Death Valley in California.
Still, the African deserts are arguably some of the hottest places on Earth, particularly the Sahara Desert and the Danakil Desert. But when it comes to heat and humidity combined, Jacqueville, a coastal town in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, takes the top spot. For 92.5% of the day, the town experiences “miserable” humidity.
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
15.Shantou, China
Humidity Level: 92.7%
Image Credit: Yisi She/iStock.
14. Pingelap, Micronesia
Humidity Level: 92.7%
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
13. Alor Setar, Malaysia
Humidity Level: 94.0%
Image Credit: Othman Abdullah/iStock.
12.Barrancabermeja, Colombia
Humidity Level: 94.1%
Although Colombian weather is not strongly affected by seasons due to its proximity to the Equator, what will affect the climate is the altitude of the places you are visiting. The mountains are cool and fresh, while the Amazon is warm and wet year-round. Thanks to a significant amount of rainfall during the year, even throughout the driest months, Colombia is humid. The city of Barrancabermeja experiences “miserable” humidity for 94.1% of the day.
The best time to visit Colombia is December-March, which are the driest months in the Andes. However, this is an extremely popular time to visit, with both locals and international tourists, so you’ll need to book early to keep costs low.
Image Credit: Oscar Leonardo Lizarazo Campo/iStock.
11. Jabor, Marshall Islands
Humidity Level: 94.3%
Image Credit: Carine Boekee/iStock.
10.Surigao, Philippines
Humidity Level: 94.7%
Image Credit: Alexpunker/iStock.
9. San Pedro, Belize
Humidity Level: 94.7%
Long, hot and wet summers are typical of San Pedro, Belize. Known for its abundance of sun, sea and sand – people often flock to the city for its heat, though those living there or visiting can expect to experience “miserable” humidity for 94.7% of the day because of it.
“Tropical the island breeze, all of nature wild and free,” Madonna sings of San Pedro in her 1987 hit La Isla Bonita. Boasting sandy streets lined with picturesque wooden houses and an array of seafood restaurants and beach bars, it’s no wonder San Pedro is a hotspot for tourism. Home to a diverse number of species, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.
Image Credit: Oli Eva.
8.Magong, Taiwan
Humidity Level: 95.2%
Image Credit: kuenlin/iStock.
7.Macau, Macau SAR China
Humidity Level: 95.4%
Image Credit: lavendertime/iStock.
6.Point Pedro, Sri Lanka
Humidity Level: 96.2%
Image Credit: pius99/iStock.
5.Hulhumale, Maldives
Humidity Level: 96.6%
Image Credit: KHAWAJA UMER FAROOQ/iStock.
4.Hạ Long, Vietnam
Humidity Level: 97.4%
Image Credit: Joao Benavides/iStock.
3.Sittwe, Myanmar (Burma)
Humidity Level: 98.7%
Image Credit: GoodOlga/iStock.
2.Satkhira, Bangladesh
Humidity Level: 98.8%
Image Credit: .
1.Patna, India
Humidity Level: 99.2%
Patna is the largest and capital city of the state of Bihar, northeast India. It sprawls along the south bank of the Ganges River and remains one of the oldest living cities in the world. The country’s subtropical climate promises plenty of sunshine, an abundance of heat and high humidity (Patna experiences “miserable” humidity for 99.2% of the day).
Image Credit: Ariyathailand/iStock.
Methodology
We used WeatherSpark.com to gather the humidity level for every global and US city on their muggiest day. The colored charts show the proportional breakdown of humidity level (miserable, oppressive, muggy, humid, comfortable, dry) across the 24 hours. The map colors reflect the level of humidity that is most dominant on the most humid day (e.g. orange and 40% means that it’s oppressively humid for 40% of the muggiest day).
We compiled a list of popular destinations from various sources such as TripAdvisor, Tui and Last Minute, and cross-referenced the data to reveal the most humid travel destinations. The data was collected in September 2021.
This article originally appeared on HouseFresh.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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