Sometimes in the Southeast we hear that the temperature is 100 degrees and the humidity is 98%. While it may feel that way, it really never gets that hot and humid here. But in southern Iran this week, the combination of an air temperature of 109 F and a dewpoint of 90 F led to a calculated apparent temperature of 154 F, which is astonishingly high, although not record-setting. For more information, you can read the Capital Weather Gang blog here.
If you are interested in doing more reading on the heat and apparent temperature or doing your own calculations, check out Chris Robbins’ information page at https://www.iweathernet.com/educational/heat-index-calculator-and-conversion-table. Chris says that the highest calculated apparent temperature in the US was in Appleton WI on July 13, 1995 at 148 F.
Iran was also in the news recently for its heavy use of surface water for agriculture and consumer use. According to AL Monitor, 97 percent of surface water is currently used, compared to 22 percent in the US. They predict that if water conservation measures are not undertaken soon, many in Iran will be forced to migrate. You can read this story here.
