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3w ago

Corn Sweat Sends Midwest Heat Index Soaring Toward 115°F

Local crop evapotranspiration is boosting humidity under a stagnant heat dome, heightening heat illness risks for millions.

Farmer Bruce Wessling checks a corn field near Grand Junction, Iowa, in July 2018. In Iowa, corn pumps out "a staggering 49 to 56 billion gallons of water into the atmosphere each day" throughout the state, the National Weather Service said.
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Overview

  • Evapotranspiration from corn and soybean fields, known as corn sweat, is boosting dew points by up to 10°F across the Midwest.
  • Each acre of corn transpires about 3,000–4,000 gallons of water per day, with Iowa’s fields alone releasing nearly 50 billion gallons into the atmosphere.
  • Meteorologists expect the region’s heat index to near 115°F midweek as a persistent high-pressure dome traps humid air.
  • Elevated humidity hampers sweat evaporation and raises the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, especially for older adults, young children and outdoor workers.
  • Analyses by Climate Central indicate human-driven warming has tripled the likelihood of such extreme heat events for nearly half of the U.S. population.