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From melting ice caps in Antarctica and Greenland to severe droughts, which have doubled the number of wildfires in the western United States between 1984 and 2015 – climate change anxiety is rising, and so is the willingness to act on it.
However, climate change concerns more than just global temperature; it also affects humidity levels.
We all know that too much heat can be dangerous for us, with the potential to cause heat exhaustion, dehydration, and, in severe cases, death. But when you combine high temperatures with high humidity, your body will have an even harder time trying to cool itself off.
But where are the places that suffer the most from humidity? A news study from HouseFresh maps the most humid city in every country.
HouseFresh used WeatherSpark to gather the humidity level for every global and U.S. city on their muggiest day.
The charts show the proportional breakdown of humidity levels (miserable, oppressive, muggy, humid, comfortable, dry) across the 24 hours.
This means that the cities ranked as most humid worldwide in this study fall into one of those six categories. For example, the dominant type of humidity in Asia is ‘miserable’ (Patna in India experiences that 99.2% of the day).
But at the other end of the scale, the most dominant type of humidity in Europe is ‘dry’ or ‘comfortable.’ Höfn (Iceland) takes the crown as the most ‘dry’ humidity in Europe, at 99.1% of the day.
The team then compiled a list of popular destinations from various sources such as TripAdvisor, Tui, and Last Minute and cross-referenced the data to reveal the most humid travel destinations. Below is the world map of the most humid cities.
The Most Humid Cities in the World
Patna, India, which has “miserable” humidity for 99.2% of the day, earns the title of the most humid city in the world.
When looking at the most humid cities in the world, each resides in South Asia, which has two distinct seasons: wet and dry. Located close to the equator, this corner of the world is known for its rich history, blistering heat, and humid weather. The average year-round temperature is 27°C, reaching an average height of 38°C from March to May. India dominates our top three results, with Patna (99.2%), Bhubaneshwar (991.%), and Cuttack (98.9%) experiencing the most “miserable” humidity.
The Most Humid Holiday Destination
The Maldives comes up top as the most humid travel destination, experiencing “miserable” humidity for 96.6% of the day. The country’s monsoon season dramatically affects the amount of rainfall throughout the year, resulting in high humidity.
Europe
The city of Höfn, meaning “harbor”, is a fishing port in the southeast of Iceland. The climate is cold, cloudy, and windy throughout most of the year. Iceland is a cold country thanks to its high latitude and icy winds blowing from the North Pole. So despite being surrounded by sea on three sides, the cold air cannot retain the same amount of moisture, resulting in “dry” humidity for 99.1% of the day.
North America
Famously referred to as “La Isla Bonita” by Madonna back in 1987, San Pedro, Belize is a hotspot for tourists. Offering an abundance of sun, sand, and sea – the San Pedro Barrier Reef is the second-largest in the world, beaten only by the Great Barrier Reef. Summers in particular are long, hot, wet, and overcast. Experiencing “miserable” humidity for 94.7% of the day, San Pedro is the most humid city in North America.
United States
Louisiana is known for its long, hot, humid summers and short, mild winters. The state’s subtropical climate is due to its low lying topography, low latitude, and the influence of the Gulf of Mexico. The winds that come up from the Gulf, sweeping across the state, provide lots of warm and muggy air, leading to the city of Abbeville experiencing “miserable” humidity for 68.4% of the day.
The most humid cities in the United States are all found in Florida. The Sunshine State is known for its hot and sunny climate, but there are many reasons for its high humidity, from its relatively low latitude location to the south winds that carry vast amounts of moisture across the state. In addition to this, Florida is bordered by water on three sides and boasts plenty of vegetation, resulting in a tonne of water vapor in the air. Pinellas Park is the most humid city in Florida, with ‘miserable’ humidity for 48.7% of the day.
South America
Due to Colombia’s close proximity to the equator, its climate is generally tropical and isothermal (without any real change of seasons). It’s no surprise then, that the average temperatures in the city of Barrancabermeja vary very little. Thanks to a significant amount of rainfall during the year (258 of yearly rain days), even throughout the driest months, explains the “miserable” humidity it experiences for 94.1% of the day.
The Middle East and Central Asia
Thanks to its crystal clear waters, long stretch of white sand beaches, and year-round sunshine, the Maldives is one of the dreamiest tourist destinations today. However, its monsoonal seasons dramatically affect the amount of rainfall throughout the year, resulting in high humidity. The artificial island of Hulhumale is the most humid city across the Middle East and Central Asia, with “miserable” humidity for 96.6% of the day.
The Rest of Asia and Oceania
Patna, India is a city steeped in history. Stretching along the south bank of the Ganges River in Bihar, it is one of the oldest living cities in the world. The subtropical climate ensures extremely hot summers from late March to early June, monsoon season sets in from late June to late September, and from November to February chilly winter nights and foggy days are to be expected. With “miserable” humidity for 99.2% of the day, Patna is the most humid city in the rest of Asia and Oceania.
Africa
Jacqueville is a coastal town in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, located on the south coast of West Africa. Virtually its own island, the seasons in Jacqueville are distinctly wet and dry. The wet season is warm and mostly cloudy, the dry season is hot and partly cloudy, and it is “oppressive” year-round. For 92.5% of the day, the town experiences “miserable” humidity.
Key Findings
The most humid city in the world is Patna, India, which has “miserable” humidity for 99.2% of the day.
Höfn, Iceland, is the most humid city in Europe, experiencing “dry” humidity for 99.1% of the day.
The 20 most humid cities in the US all reside in Florida, ranging from 36.8% to 48.7% “miserable” humidity.
The Maldives is the most humid travel destination, experiencing ”miserable” humidity for 96.6% of the day.
