Calc-Relative Humidity PDF
Calc-Relative Humidity PDF
Relative Humidity is by definition the percentage ratio of Vapour Pressure to Saturation Vapour
Pressure and is a commonly used indicator of the amount of moisture in the air. Although there are
instruments that can directly measure relative humidity, Wet Bulb Temperature is commonly measured to
enable the calculation of vapour pressure and thus relative humidity. Its measurement involves a mercury
thermometer with the bulb covered by the end of a muslin wick and the other end of the wick immersed in
water. Evaporation of water from the muslin cools the thermometer below the air temperature, or dry bulb
temperature, to a temperature determined by the evaporation rate, which in turn is related to the moisture
content of the air. Another common moisture parameter is Dew Point Temperature, which is calculated
from wet and dry bulb temperature or from relative humidity and dry bulb temperature. The dew point
temperature is a direct measure of the atmospheric moisture content and physically corresponds with the
temperature to which the air must be reduced for moisture in the air to condense and thus form dew.
The equations below are applicable only when the air temperature is greater than or equal to 0.0ºC. For
temperatures below 0.0ºC, the constants in the equations must be adjusted to reflect possible phase changes.
The following equations allow Relative Humidity to be calculated given the known parameters:
Wet Bulb Temperature, Dry Bulb Temperature, and Station Level Pressure
where U = Relative Humidity (%), T = Dry Bulb Temperature (°C), Tw = Wet Bulb Temperature (°C),
P = Station Level Pressure (hPa)
If pressure is not known, the following table of standard pressures can be used as a first guess.
Station Altitude (m) 0 - 250 251 - 500 501 - 750 1001 - 1250 1251 - 1500
Pressure (hPa) 998.3 969.0 940.4 912.5 885.2
The calculated relative humidity given an accurately measured station level pressure is expected to vary by
2-3% from the value calculated using a pressure from the above table.
References:
Abbott, P.F., and Tabony, R.C. 1985. The estimation of humidity parameters. Met. Mag., 114, 49-56.
Bureau of Meteorology. 2003. Equipment Specification A2669. 215pp.