The Assessment of Sultriness. Part I: A Temperature-Humidity Index Based on Human Physiology and Clothing Science

Abstract

Using as bases the amount of clothing needed to achieve thermal comfort and the reduction in the skin's resistance needed to obtain thermal equilibrium, the relative sultriness of warm-humid and hot-arid summer climates is assessed. Conditions of equal sultriness are referred to a vapor pressure of 1.6 kPa in order to prepare a table of apparent temperature corresponding to summer temperatures and humidities. Abstract Using as bases the amount of clothing needed to achieve thermal comfort and the reduction in the skin's resistance needed to obtain thermal equilibrium, the relative sultriness of warm-humid and hot-arid summer climates is assessed. Conditions of equal sultriness are referred to a vapor pressure of 1.6 kPa in order to prepare a table of apparent temperature corresponding to summer temperatures and humidities.