Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor is the gaseous state of water, which is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity is an important metric used in weather forecasts and reports, as it is an indicator of the likelihood of precipitation, dew, or fog. There are three types of humidity:
-
Absolute Humidity: This is the actual amount of water vapor present in the air, expressed in grams of water vapor per cubic meter of air.
-
Specific Humidity: This is the ratio of water vapor mass to total moist air parcel mass.
-
Relative Humidity: This measures the amount of water in the air in relation to the maximum amount of water vapor (moisture) that the air can hold at a given temperature. It is expressed as a percentage.
Humidity plays an important role in our daily lives. For example, high humidity combined with hot temperatures can be a health risk, especially for the very young and the very old. Humidity also affects the comfort level of our indoor environments. In general, a relative humidity level between 30% and 50% is considered comfortable for most people.
