Relative Humidity
Relative humidity is calculated using temperature and moisture fields from NASA’s GEOS-FP system. GEOS-FP combines millions of weather observations with a predictive model to create a global best estimate of weather conditions that are used to begin a forecast. Below is a view of the world’s relative humidity on November 5th, 2024 at 2:00 PM EST.
Figure 1.
Source:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5150/
Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air at a certain temperature compared to what the air can “hold” at that temperature. When the air in your home reaches a specific capacity of water vapor, it will condense as moisture, causing the air to feel damp. When relative humidity gets too high, usually above 50%, mold and mildew growth and trapped allergens become more likely which, in turn, may cause allergy and asthma symptoms to appear.
Figure 2.
Source:
NYS Earth Science Reference Tables, 2011