Air humidity is one of the most prominent climatic features that distinguish the summer in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where high levels prevail as a result of its geographical location on the coast of the Arabian Gulf and the overlapping of marine effects with high atmosphere. This height in moisture, with temperatures that often exceed 40 ° C, creates a harsh climatic environment that burdens human health; High moisture limits the body’s ability to sweat and natural cooling, which increases the risk of heat stress and sunstroke, and increases the feeling of individuals in suffocation and fatigue. It also contributes to the exacerbation of the problems of respiratory patients, rheumatism and allergies, and provides an appropriate environment for the growth of mold and bacteria that cause healthy and psychological health problems, and thus summer humidity in Bahrain is one of the most prominent health and environmental challenges that negatively affect the comfort of the population and the quality of their lives.
It should also be noted that the high summer humidity, despite the lack of rain, is due to the coastal location of Bahrain and the prevalence of marine air currents (especially the zucchini winds) that carry water vapor, which makes the night more viscous even with high temperatures and impedes the evaporation of sweat effectively. Add to that atmosphere and dew (tal); The relative moisture is not only the most decisive element in a person’s feeling of comfort or discomfort due to the atmosphere, but rather these two air. Among the most important information and climatic measurements related to moisture in the Kingdom of Bahrain, according to what was recorded by meteorology at Bahrain International Airport in Muharraq, especially during the summer, is the following:
1. The average annual relative humidity:
In the Muharraq Governorate, the average annual relative humidity is about 67.1% and ranges per month from 59% in June to 77% in December, and according to other sources, the average humidity in Bahrain in general is about 66%.
2. Seasonal contrast in humidity levels:
The highest humidity is usually recorded during the winter months (December – February), but it remains relatively high during the rest of the year as well, while the least relative moisture coincides with the summer, but even then the values remain relatively high; In May, about 61% in June, about 59%, then gradually increased about 65% in August.
3. The periods of feeling free and humidity:
According to the climate index, Wittar Spark, Bahrain lives a long time of moisture and suffocation, and this period extends from mid -April to late November (about 7.5 months), a period in which the dew levels (the point of the look) increases, which increases the feeling of discomfort, especially during the hot climates.
In the capital, Manama, the period with a high sense of moisture or worse in the period from April 16 to November 28, and the number of days when people feel extreme moisture 29.7 days in August alone.
4. Daily and monthly changes:
According to the annual climatic data of the Manama region, the month that records the maximum humidity is December (66%), while June is one of the most low (40 to 52%) during the summer months. As for the daily average of the state of the air in any of them, such as August, it is characterized by a relative moisture of between 50% and 52%.
High weather is positive (as we indicated last week), and negatives appear on humans, the environment and buildings, the most important of which are:
1. Human health: difficulty breathing, especially for asthma and allergies, increased feeling of fatigue and fatigue due to the body’s inability to cool through sweating, high risk of sunstroke and heat stress when they coincide with high temperature, the multiplication of bacteria, fungi and mold, which increases allergic diseases and skin.
2. Impact on the environment and buildings: the growth of mold and fungi in the walls and furniture, which leads to damage, corrosion of minerals and rust more quickly, the weak construction materials over time due to the absorption of moisture.
3. Economic and living effect: greater energy consumption due to dependence on air conditioning and moisture removal, and damaged materials such as paper, electronic devices, and foods.
4. Impact on comfort and productivity: a permanent feeling of viscosity and lack of physical relief, lack of focus and poor performance at work or study.
* Professor of Applied Physics at the Arab Gulf University
