In a new study, researchers from Penn State University challenge the conventional belief that humans can tolerate temperatures up to 35 degrees Centigrade without major consequences. They argue that this limit does not take into account factors that amplify the effects of heat, such as humidity. Humidity affects the body’s ability to cool off through sweating, which is the most efficient heat-releasing mechanism. The researchers found that in warm and humid conditions, the uncontrolled rise in body heat started to happen at a “wet-bulb temperature” of 31 degrees Celsius. This finding is particularly important for densely populated areas with high humidity that experience intolerable temperatures multiple days a year. If global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius, about 4 billion people—half of humanity—will be affected. The solution to this problem is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
https://nautil.us/humid-heat-can-kill-us-much-faster-than-we-thought-415997/