It's getting to be so hot that we're talking about wet-bulb temperature, which is what a thermometer reads when wrapped in a wet cloth, simulates a sweating human body, making it a better indicator of how well we can handle the air in question. 🥵🌡️
So far, temperatures almost everywhere remain at a level that sturdy individuals can tolerate; so long as they avoid direct sun, drink adequate water and don’t overexert themselves. After all, thanks to several evolutionary tricks, humans are built to boil. Since shedding our fur, going bipedal and learning to sweat, we’ve been able to keep cool in most circumstances. But there is a limit, a point past which we are unable to cope with heat no matter what we do.
Sweating gets steadily harder as the wet-bulb temperature rises, but experts agree that 95 degrees Fahrenheit is the ceiling. Consider the air temperature of Phoenix, Ariz., combined with the humidity of Washington, D.C. At that point, sweat is useless. Within hours, death by overheating is certain — even for a healthy adult, sitting still and naked in the shade with plenty of water.
Those extreme heat waves are sure to strike with greater frequency, and longer duration, in the coming decades. They’ll likely expand into parts of Southeast Asia, West Africa, Central America, northern South America, and even the southeastern United States — locations that vary enormously in their socioeconomic status. “The suffering will not be shared equally,” Raymond observes.
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