Essential Weather Measurements: Humidity and Wind Dynamics
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Relative Humidity: Definition and Measurement
Relative humidity (RH) relates the amount of moisture actually present in the atmosphere to the maximum amount it can hold at a given temperature. If the air is saturated, the relative humidity is 100%.
Measuring Relative Humidity with a Hygrometer
Relative humidity is measured using a wet and dry bulb thermometer, sometimes known as a hygrometer. The measurement process relies on evaporative cooling:
- Water from a bottle soaks the cotton gauze covering the wet bulb, keeping the thermometer wet.
- As water evaporates from the damp cotton, it cools and reduces the temperature of the wet bulb thermometer.
- Consequently, the wet bulb temperature is lower than the dry bulb temperature due to this cooling effect.