Note that there are two common “wet bulb” temperatures used in discussion:

  • Wet Bulb Globe Temperature - this tells you that physical activity (including work) in unshaded locations can kill healthy adults and is used in this article
  • Wet Bulb Temperature - this tells you whether it is hot enough to kill the bulk of the population for just sitting still in the shade with access to plenty of water

A Washington Post analysis found that the wet-bulb globe temperature, which measures the amount of heat stress on the human body, reached 97 degrees to 100 degrees (36 to 38 Celsius) in Delhi on Tuesday. That is higher than the 89.6 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) threshold that researchers have identified as posing a risk to human survival if such heat is prolonged. The wet-bulb globe temperature is based on a combination of factors including temperature, humidity, wind and clouds, and was calculated by The Post using data from a nearby weather station.

  • silence7@slrpnk.netOPM
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    5 months ago

    It’s not quite there — there is a combination of heat and humidity which will kill some people, but it’s not going to look like an everybody-dies situation unless the next day is hotter.

      • silence7@slrpnk.netOPM
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        5 months ago

        There are no ministry black ops folks; it’s down to what you, joining with the people around you, can do to alter policy