High air humidity intensifies the perceived severity of both outdoor cold and extreme heat for people in Russia, according to Tatyana Poznyakova, a senior specialist at the Meteonovosti weather agency.
Speaking to Russian news outlet Gazeta.ru, Poznyakova explained that effective temperature, the measure of how weather actually feels to the human body, depends heavily on atmospheric humidity and wind speed.
When air humidity is elevated during cold weather, the effective temperature drops significantly lower than actual thermometer readings, causing frosty conditions to feel substantially harsher on the human body.
Health Impacts and Regional Climate Differences
Poznyakova noted that low temperatures, such as those not lower than 30 degrees, combined with high moisture levels create unfavorable conditions for weather-sensitive people.
Conversely, when air temperatures exceed 30 degrees alongside high humidity, atmospheric conditions become particularly severe and harmful for human health.
Because of elevated moisture levels, coastal cities consistently experience a heavier and more challenging climate than drier inland regions, Poznyakova said.
In the Arctic port city of Murmansk, located on Russia's northern coast near the Barents Sea, high humidity amplifies winter freezing. By contrast, identical temperatures in Siberia feel much milder because the vast eastern region has a dry continental climate with lower humidity.
Subtropical Heat and Relative Humidity Standards
During hot summer weather, high atmospheric moisture drives the effective temperature above what standard thermometers register, increasing physical strain on the body.
Poznyakova illustrated the contrast by comparing the Black Sea coastal cities of Batumi and Sukhumi, pointing out that people perceive the exact same temperature entirely differently in each location.
In Sukhumi, where humidity remains lower, warm weather feels comfortable to residents and visitors. In Batumi, a city defined by a humid subtropical climate, the heat is experienced far more heavily.
Poznyakova defined relative humidity levels between 50 and 60 percent as normal for most regions across Russia. When moisture levels reach 80 to 90 percent, atmospheric conditions cross into high humidity, she added.
Upcoming Weather Forecasts
Ahead of the weekend, the meteorologist previously issued a weather warning stating that fog would cover Moscow on the night of Saturday, August 29.
Moscow, the Russian capital, regularly sees late summer atmospheric shifts that bring dense overnight fog across the city.
