The world is not only getting hotter but also more humid. New research by Washington State University scientists shows that people living in areas where humid-heat extremes are already a significant hazard are bearing the brunt of the impact.
“We identify a greater increase in population exposure to humid-heat as compared to dry-heat, emphasizing the importance of understanding humidity changes in a warming world,” said study lead author Cassandra Rogers of Washington State University.
“For example, increases in the occurrence of humid-heat were strongest over populous regions in South and Southeast Asia and the southeastern U.S., where changes in dry-heat frequency, as measured by temperature alone, are small or non-significant,” said study co-author Deepti Singh.