With climate change causing temperatures to rise across the globe, extreme heat is becoming more common — and thus a bigger health threat. The human body is resilient, but it can only handle so much. So what is the highest temperature people can endure?
The answer is straightforward: a wet-bulb temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius), according to a 2020 study in the journal Science Advances. Wet-bulb temperature is not the same as the air temperature you might see reported by your local meteorologist or favorite weather app. Rather, a wet-bulb temperature is measured using a thermometer covered in a water-soaked cloth, and the resulting metric takes into account both heat and humidity. The latter is important because with more water in the air, it's harder for sweat to evaporate off the body and cool a person down.
