High humidity can cause health problems

Humidity reached the highest level in the year in the UAE Wednesday, hitting 100 per cent in coastal areas in the western region, according to a forecaster. "The 100 per cent humidity was expected also today at Al Faqa, a town on the road between Dubai and Al Ain," a source from the meteorological office said Wednesday. He said high humidity and temperature have made conditions uncomfortable in the coastal and inland cities. The discomfort index has gone up to six on the scale of one to 10, according to the meteorological office. It becomes very uncomfortable if the index rises above four. The national weather forecast yesterday reported humidity as high as 99 per cent on the coast and 90 per cent in the inland areas. "It's high, very high," said a forecaster, adding that it could cause severe health problems if proper care is not taken. This is the peak summer season and a change in the wind direction is an important factor. Dry, hot winds blowing from the southeast during the day, baking the areas under its influence. In the evening and night, said the forecaster, moisture-laden winds from the north and north-west sweep through the coastal areas, reaching as far as Al Ain and its surroundings. Unpleasant evenings "Evenings are no more pleasant in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and other coastal cities and other coastal areas due to the high humidity," said the forecaster. The effects of high humidity were also felt strongly in Al Ain for the last two days. People living in these cities will experience still more unpleasant evenings with humidity as high as 95 per cent, he said. The humidity also caused hazy conditions in parts of Sharjah, Dubai and other cities. Meteorologists have warned motorists to drive carefully at night and in the early morning. Temperatures are not too high in Dubai and some other cities, except Al Ain where it was 47 Celsius yesterday, but the humidity has been making conditions unpleasant. The discomfort level has gone up to six on the scale of one to 10, he said. "We still see an increase in humidity, particularly in the coastal areas," the forecaster said.