Weather plots: temperature and relative humidity (2024)

FAQs

What sort of relationship is there between the plots of relative humidity and temperature? ›

As the temperature increases the relative humidity usually decreases or vice versa.

Relative Humidity and Temperature Relationship

The relation between humidity and temperature is inversely proportional. If temperature increases, it will reduce relative humidity; thus, the air will become drier. When the temperature decreases, the air will become wetter; therefore, the relative humidity will increase.

The ASHRAE guidelines recommend 68 F to 74 F in the winter and 72 F to 80 F in the summer. The ASHRAE guidelines recommend a relative humidity (RH) of 30 to 60 percent.

A frequent recommendation is a stable temperature no higher than 70°F and a stable relative humidity between a minimum of 30% and a maximum of 50%.

The relationship between temperature and relative humidity throughout the time period shown in the figure is inversely proportional. As temperature increases, the relative humidity decreases and vice versa.

The evaporation of the water cools you down. When the humidity is higher, the sweat does not evaporate as fast, so your skin temperature goes up. This makes you think the temperature is higher when the humidity is higher.

Now, with the increase in temperature the capacity of the atmosphere to hold the water vapour or moisture increases, thus decreasing the relative humidity. Hence, with an increase in the temperature of air, the relative humidity will decrease even if the moisture content remains the same.

When humidity is high, there is abundant moisture in air. With low temperature, the water vapour in air reach their condensation point and condense to become water droplets alongwith dust particles. The light water droplets float to form fog.

Contrary to popular belief, humidity does not actually increase the temperature inside your home. It does begin to make things feel more uncomfortable though. As the temperatures get higher, the amount of water that the air can hold increases.

It's advisable to keep your home below 80 degrees throughout the summer. A house that's too warm can be dangerous to people, pets, and the soft surfaces in your home. Set the winter temperature to 68 degrees when you're awake and 62 degrees when you're sleeping.

Is 70% humidity too high for a bedroom? ›

Is 70% Humidity Too High for a House? Yes, 70% indoor relative humidity is much too high. If your home remains in this range for an extended period, you'll notice mold and mildew growth, an increase in indoor airborne allergens, and potentially severe health side effects.

Research from the Building Science Corporation found that humidity of 70% or higher adjacent to a surface can cause serious damage to the property. The Health and Safety Executive recommends that relative humidity indoors should be maintained at 40-70%, while other experts recommend that the range should be 30-60%.

In the summer, air temperature is higher and holds more water vapour, which raises the level of humidity. High humidity makes temperatures feel hotter, even stifling, because all the water vapour in the air makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate from our skin. This makes it hard for us to cool off.

less than or equal to 55: dry and comfortable. between 55 and 65: becoming "sticky" with muggy evenings. greater than or equal to 65: lots of moisture in the air, becoming oppressive.

The Humidity Ratio is how much 'air' is in the air versus the amount of water. Relative Humidity on the other hand, takes the humidity ratio, and includes the air temperature, and the maximum amount of water the air can hold, and displays it as a percentage.

For example, a temperature of 30 and a dew point of 30 will give you a relative humidity of 100%, but a temperature of 80 and a dew point of 60 produces a relative humidity of 50%. It would feel much more "humid" on the 80 degree day with 50% relative humidity than on the 30 degree day with a 100% relative humidity.

Specific humidity (SH) is the mass of water vapor present in a given mass of gas, e.g., kg water vapor / kg dry gas. Relative humidity (RH) is the amount of water vapor present in the gas compared to the amount that could be present in the gas at the same temperature.

Climate: Temperature and moisture influence the speed of chemical reactions, which in turn help control how fast rocks weather and dead organisms decompose. Soils develop faster in warm, moist climates and slowest in cold or arid ones. Rainfall is one of the most important climate factors in soil formation.