How the Dew Point Affects the Heat

A combination of high humidity and high temperatures creates muggy weather. The dew point temperature serves as an indicator. From a dew point of 16 degrees, the air is perceived as muggy, above 19 degrees it becomes very burdensome. In the current heatwave, it is helpful that the dew point is currently significantly lower. For example, in Vienna on Monday, it dropped to below ten degrees.

Rise of Dew Point During Thursday

The dew point is the temperature at which the air condenses - forming dew (condensation, ed.) - and is thus a measure of humidity. The reason for the lower dew point in recent days is due to the influence of more continental and therefore drier air masses, explained Geosphere Austria upon APA inquiry. Humid air masses, such as those coming from the Mediterranean, are wetter and thus lead to a higher dew point. On Thursday - the expected peak of the heat in Austria - a dew point of initially ten to twelve degrees is expected, which should rise to 16 degrees during the afternoon, as a cold front from the northwest will bring humid air masses. At night, the dew point is expected to rise to 18 degrees.

Tropical Nights Over 20 Degrees with Low Dew Point Rare

In particularly hot nights - that is, tropical nights with an air temperature over 20 degrees - the dew point is often higher. It is very rare for tropical nights to occur with a low dew point. However, according to Geosphere Austria, there is no direct correlation. So far this summer, eight tropical nights have been recorded in the inner districts of Vienna. In combination with high humidity, heat poses a significant health burden because the human body can no longer cool itself sufficiently through sweating. When humidity is high, sweat no longer evaporates and the cooling effect is lost.

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