For a few days now, many of you have certainly noticed an absolutely astonishing phenomenon in the midst of a summer heatwave: dew.
The condensation of vapor is clearly visible in the evening hours, especially in our seaside cities, particularly in the Center-South, and especially near the coasts.
Walking along the seafronts of Naples, Bari, Palermo, you will certainly have noticed dew on the cars.
But how is it possible for dew to form in summer with extremely high temperatures?
Clamorous Summer Anomaly: Dew
It is clear that something is not right, considering that dew is a typical phenomenon of autumn and winter, when the nighttime temperature drops drastically, favoring the saturation of the air column.
The lower the temperature, the higher the humidity percentage rises until it reaches 100%, as the volume in which water vapor can be contained is literally compressed. When this phenomenon occurs with extremely high temperatures, that is, between 27 and 30 °C, it means that the amount of water vapor present in the air is extremely high, almost reaching 100%.
The humidity present in our maritime locations has been absolutely exceptional in recent weeks, due to a persistent anticyclone that absolutely does not want to leave the Mediterranean.
The other fundamental component in this process is the extremely high temperature reached by the Mediterranean, which has exceeded 30 °C in several areas.
Such a high sea temperature produces greater evaporation of water, further increasing the humidity load in the atmosphere.
Considering that there are no significant air exchanges, all this humidity pours onto our plains and coasts.
Record Humidity
In recent evenings, the relative humidity has exceeded 90% on most of the coasts of Central-Southern Italy, and locally also in the North and in the Po Valley.
With such a high humidity percentage, condensation forms even with extremely high temperatures, as if we were practically in autumn or winter.
Obviously, such a situation clearly shows us how muggy and heavy the air is not only during the day but also in the evening. With high probability, the humidity will increase even more until the first days of September, due to the persistence of the African anticyclone within the Mediterranean.
Therefore, the heat will become even more muggy and unbearable.
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