Home / Editor's Pick /

Why the air feels sticky and humid

06:00
1 August 2024

Understanding dew point
Why the air feels sticky and humid

Widely high dew point temperatures of 18°C - 20°C expected.

Dew points are reaching sticky territories, making it feel humid right now. Here's why and how to also check out this feature inside the app!

The dew point temperature is defined as the temperature to which it must be cooled to, to become saturated.

Difference in dew point and relative humidity?

When the air is saturated this means the relative humidity is at 100% and the air cannot hold any more water vapour, so is condensed out into liquid form. It is simply a measure of how much moisture is in the air at any given point.

Both dew point temperature and relative humidity measure the moisture content in the atmosphere.

The difference however, is that relative humidity is temperature driven, giving you a relative measure of how saturated the air is, while dew point is an absolute measure of the moisture content.

A higher dew point means more moisture

In the coming days, the air temperature will be reaching the mid to high twenties, around 26°C to 28°C. The dew points, will be reaching 18°C to 20°C, leaving a relative humidity of around 50-70%.

Info inside the app

You can find all this detail inside the app, by clicking the hourly increments in the 'today' section and also the 'afternoon', 'evening', 'night' and 'morning' blocks in the forecast section lower down the page.

Tapping these areas will show an addition box of information below, including the humidity and dew point.

A 'feels like' temperature is also available, calculated by taking into account the air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed. Wind speed is more relevant in winter, as it makes it feel colder with a stronger wind chill.

Understanding the TemperatureRadarread more
More on the topic
Split image of a vineyard on the left. Weather & Radar reporter stands with vineyard owner on the right holding bottles of wine.
Tuesday 19 August 2025

Flashback

Warming Isles good for vineyards
Shared image: Left: Radar showing heavy rain over South Asia, warning symbol over Pakistan. Right: People and an ambulance in waist-deep water.
Tuesday 19 August 2025

Death toll climbs

Heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan
Wednesday 13 August 2025

Wind fans the flames

Severe forest fires in Greece
All weather news
This might also interest you
Temperature radar showing the UK and Ireland. A red thermometer is seen next to southern England where highs in the upper-20s can be seen.
Monday 11 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Beginning of the fourth heatwave
Sunday 17 August 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Summer shots from a warm week
Friday 15 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Split with cooler north, hot south
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement