Wishing for winter? With the heatwave set to continue, many in east China are dreaming of December. But don’t forget the role that humidity has to play; that oppressive damp has the power to make us feel both hotter and colder.
Yesterday, 3 August, Jiangsu Provincial Meteorology once again issued an orange warning for high temperatures. Over 37 degrees Celsius was expected for today across the entire southern part of Jiangsu, including the cities of Nanjing, Wuxi, Changzhou, Suzhou, Nantong, Huai’an, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang and Taizhou.
Up north, it’s a bit cooler. But only a little. Xuzhou, Lianyungang and Suqian are getting off with a chilly 35 to 36 degrees.
But alert readers who pay a little more attention to the weather app on their phones will scroll down for a glance at the humidity levels. They will have noticed something; those levels are on the rise.
And that’s what’s making it feel so blazing hot.
Taking today for example, the humidity in Nanjing is making it feel a full 10 degrees hotter than it already it is. The higher the humidity level, the bigger the difference between the actual temperature and how it actually feels. And it doesn’t get much better in the evening.
The same goes for temperature. When it’s a nice 26 or 27 degrees, a humidity level of 50 percent has no effect on how much warmer or colder it feels. But as the temperature rises, that same 50 percent of humidity starts to make it feel increasingly hot.
But the reverse is true in winter. As temperatures drop below 26 degrees, humidity starts to make it feel increasingly cold.
The way that damp cold goes straight to our bones is what makes Nanjing’s winters sometimes the most miserable around.
That fact not withstanding, many in Nanjing are today longing for winter. But of course, it’s far from over yet.
This round of high-temperatures is just the beginning (we said that a month ago). Over the next 10 days, the heatwave will continue in most parts of Jiangsu. With 40-plus degrees forecast for Nanjing next week, mid August is likely going to feel more like 50 degrees. Welcome to the world’s biggest sauna.
