Ebac Weatherwatch

 

To discover the relative humidity forecast in your area please click the link below:         

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather

 

Ebac Weekly article

23rd October 2006

by John Kettley

 

Water vapour is all around us and is the most variable component of the atmosphere at all levels; it is also a ‘greenhouse gas’ along with carbon dioxide, methane and others. Without these atmospheric gases, which strongly absorb the heat leaving the earth’s surface, the world in which we live would be some 30C colder and could not support life as we know it.

 

We can see water vapour in the home when it condenses on colder windows but it is also being absorbed by plasterwork, carpets etc. Relative humidity can be defined as the amount of water vapour in a sample of air divided by the amount that the sample could hold if it were saturated. The fraction is then multiplied by 100 to give a percentage value, so very damp air will have a relative humidity of 100% indicating that no evaporation is possible. A dehumidifier can then be employed to do the job of a well ventilated room on a breezy day by taking some of the moisture from the atmosphere.

 

This October, so far, has been yet another month of high temperatures but with plenty of rainfall and abundant moisture. The first three weeks of the month have seen daytime temperatures across the UK some 3C above average across southeastern counties of England but Northern Ireland and the north of Scotland have enjoyed much more sunshine than they normally see. In contrast northeast England has been dullest and the midlands wettest - and there will be more heavy rain this week!

 

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