“This is probably the worst humidity I have ever seen in Texas,” Matt Lanza, meteorologist with Space City Weather posted to X on Thursday afternoon. “A couple of these dewpoints may be overdone, but in general, this is widespread 81-84 type dews with 85-86 in spots.”
Other Texans quickly agreed that the humidity was unbearable.
“It is absolutely brutal today, particularly for those of us with asthma,” one person commented. “I walked outside and immediately turned back around. Like breathing underwater.”
Another asked whether there was something, hopefully not long lasting, leading to the serious humidity.
“It’s related to Arthur, yes probably. More the overall pattern that produced Arthur,” Lanza wrote.
After rounds of rain battered Texas earlier this week as Tropical Storm Arthur pushed through, temperatures began to soar, accompanied by intense humidity. An Extreme Heat Warning is in effect across Southeast Texas through 10 p.m. Thursday, with heat indices climbing around 114 degrees.
Around 4 p.m. Thursday evening, AccuWeather described Houston as “dangerously humid”—with a dew point around 78 degrees. Air gets uncomfortably sticky when dew points rise above 65 degrees, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Friday is supposed to be similar to Thursday in terms of temperature and humidity levels, according to the Space City Weather outlook. A Heart Advisory remains in effect for the Houston area through Saturday night, with overnight lows offering little reprieve.
“This will provide little in the way of cooling and the risk for heat illnesses may compound each day,” the National Weather Service Houston-Galveston Office wrote in its outlook.