Surviving Hot Weather! (Dry Heat)

The planet has plenty of violent weather to pay attention to. For the United States, tornadoes can be found racing across America’s Heartland, powerful hurricanes make landfall in the Gulf and Atlantic States, atmospheric rivers from the Pacific are a catalyst for torrential rainfall and flooding over the West Coast, blizzard conditions can stretch from the Rockies to New York City, anywhere lightning may fill the heavens and strike the ground below, and so forth. But, for everything the atmosphere unleashes on society there is one weather threat consistently standing out on mortality statistical charts: Heat! For example, according to NOAA, the 30-year average for fatalities in the U.S. from heat is 148 per year (1992-2021), which is approximately 2 to 5 times higher compared to impactful tornadoes, flooding, lightning, hurricanes, or cold weather. So why is heat at the top of the charts?

First, let’s get into how excessive heat becomes problematic for your body. It's important to remember that the environment and your body want to reach equilibrium with everything it comes in contact with in terms of temperature and moisture. There’s almost always a demand one way or the other. You, though, have a very special adaptation when outside heat threatens to push the ideal body operational temperature near 98.6°F (37°C) dangerously higher.

When it’s very hot, windy, and dry, the natural evaporative cooling process induced by sweating simply saves the day! The phase change of liquid water to a gaseous vapor absorbs thermal energy. This is why evaporation has a cooling effect in the environment. So, the thermometer still says it’s hot outside, but sweat evaporating from the body immediately near your skin is leaving behind a cooler air mass to your benefit. Same can be said in patio areas with misters, which work fantastic in hot, dry environments. Additionally, windy conditions (and that fan you put on) actually help during “dry heat” weather by resupplying drier air, which has more moisture demand and keeps potential evaporation rates higher. Otherwise, a stagnant microclimate develops over your body with increasing humidity (from your sweat) which in time will diminish the evaporative cooling effect.

-JWM

Photo Credit: Jonny William Malloy