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8 - Measuring humidity

from Part II - Measuring the weather

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2024

Stephen Burt
Affiliation:
Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
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Summary

The term ‘humidity’ refers to the amount of water vapour in the air. The physics of water vapour is one of the main components of the atmospheric heat engine which produces ‘weather’ and as a result, humidity measurements are an essential requirement for operational meteorological analysis and forecasting, for climate studies, hydrology, agriculture and many other areas of human activity and comfort. In the meteorological context, the terms relative humidity (RH) and dew point (Td) are most often used in specifying atmospheric water vapour content. This chapter sets out how humidity measurements are made, following guidelines laid down by the World Meteorological Organization in the so-called CIMO guide (Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation), including those from chilled mirror hygrometers, a dry and wet bulb psychrometer and electronic humidity sensors. Limitations of existing methods in some circumstances, such as air temperatures below freezing point, are covered.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Measuring humidity
  • Stephen Burt, Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
  • Book: The Weather Observer's Handbook
  • Online publication: 21 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009260534.009
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  • Measuring humidity
  • Stephen Burt, Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
  • Book: The Weather Observer's Handbook
  • Online publication: 21 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009260534.009
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Measuring humidity
  • Stephen Burt, Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
  • Book: The Weather Observer's Handbook
  • Online publication: 21 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009260534.009
Available formats
×