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that close, heavy, claustrophobic weather. What is it?

FireFire Posts: 19,096
edited July 2022 in The potting shed
I love rain; Snow, hail, storms, even very sunny, clear, super-hot weather. The one state of weather I find horrible (impossible) is the heavy, "close" kind of weather than narrows my eyes and gives  me a headache. (Yes, it might be psychosomatic).  In snow I can dress up warm. In hot weather I can lie in front of a fan. "Close" weather cannot be mitigated.

Now, my question is this: What is it I'm responding to and bridling against?  I check "humidity" levels as reported on weather sites and my feeling has no correspondance with those stats. "Air pressure" neither.  The breeze doesn't change this state - it's not about wind speed). It's not a rural / urban pollution thing either. It's not a breathing thing, it's more to do with eyes/headache/like living under miles of water.

 I don't know the details of how, or more to the point, where these measurements are taken (altitude) - I would assume at ground level locally. But what people describe as "humid weather" in London or Kingston, Jamaica, according to the weather stats, is not.

It bugs me not to understand it and how much this weather affects me above all others. Your insights are welcome. Thanks









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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096







  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    Fifty, 60 years ago when we had that weather and used to say it was close it was usually just before a huge storm that was brewing which cleared the close feeling after it had passed. Something to do with the high pressure I think. 
    These days low pressure really gets me. It gives me a heavy feeling in my sinus and a headache behind my eyes that paracetamol hardly touches. When it's really bad I feel quite nauseous. 
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    @pansyface 40% humidity is pretty low.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I agree it's a combination of pressure and humidity. 
    AB Still learning

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited July 2022
    But the given air pressure is high and humdity low.

    @raisingirl any thoughts on this?
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    edited July 2022
    It’s been lovely here,  cool breezy and shady,  I’ve had a cardi on all day.
    forecasts 10° for tonight and 18° tomorrow.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I believe humidity is part of it even though the figures look low. It's also that stillness when there's no air movement at all. I wish I were a scientist and could explain it all because I feel just like you do!
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    I can't say what causes your malaise but I, like @Uff, sometimes find myself affected by high pressure shortly before it breaks. I often took those headaches to be a harbinger of storms.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    It was 35° in SW France today. Usually by evening it is cooler with a breeze but this evening is hot and still. Horrible. May be 40° by Sunday/Monday. Wish it would rain.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I saw Dr Xand on Morning Live explaining that dehydration causes your brain to shrink which affects the nerve endings and causes headaches. 
    There's been a couple of times over the last few days when l thought we were in for a storm, but nothing.
    As @Uff says, it used to be that you knew that eventually the weather would break, the pressure would ease and with any luck we'd get a good thunderstorm to clear the air. Looking at the forecast there doesn't seem to be any sign of that, just a drop in temperature eventually to around 25 degrees. 
    (I realise it doesn't apply to all areas of the country). 
    At least at the moment it is "dry" heat here. I'm not keen on humidity these days. When l was younger it didn't bother me.
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