Different Types of Heat

[tim2788]

Hi

I am curious to know why temperatures and heat feel different in some countries. For example if you go to Italy in the summer months most of the time the air is warm and wraps around you even when theres no sun, in Spain the air is warm at night too. But, If you go to the canary islands, the sun seems to be the only source of heat and the air is cool, when the sun goes down the air is almost cold. why does this happen and what is the cause?

Thanks

[johnholmes]

different dewpoints for a quick one word answer

[richarddx7]

Yes it is largely about the dewpoint and the "feel" of the heat can be calculated using the "heat index" scale. I was in Rome in June and July last year and it does still feel very hot in the shade, but it definately felt like dry heat and not humid at all. Portugal is another place I have frequented in the summer months and that also is pretty dry heat. If anyone could ever want some where where you can hardly breath and get exhausted by lifting a finger there are tropical places where temperature might "only" reach 85-95*F but the relative humidity is around 60-70% at that temp with dewpoints around 75-85*F. I don't think that can be imagined unless one were to go there. I think, the canary islands get a lot of fog and cool breezes from the sea that moves in and that is why when that stuff rolls across the islands it feels cool.

[tim2788]

Thanks for the replies. I cant get my head around it. It's 20c here in north east england today, but it feels cool there is hardly any wind, if i was in spain and it was 20c it would feel warm :S

[richarddx7]

The humidity is very low in the UK at 20c but is much higher at the same temperature in spain, so it would feel warmer at 20c there. It is extremely dry here at 20c relative humidity is just 38%.