Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyMacLuckie
You are aware that temperature is measured in the shade, right? I've talked with several local weathermen that all said the same thing - it gets into the 120s to the 160s in the sun here. I'm sure it does that in other places as well but then you can add in the humidity... Last year there was one day where it got up to 108F in the shade.
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To say it is 160F is misleading. When you are standing in the sun, thermal radiation from the sun makes it feel warmer. The same way a thermometer in the sun will absorb thermal radiation and give an inaccurate representation of the surrounding air temperature. This is why weather thermometers are protected from wind, water, solar radiation, etc. The goal is to measure the air temperature as accurately as possible.
Humidity has nothing to do with temperature readings. High humidity may make it feel hotter than reported, but that's because you lose evaporative cooling.
Bananas fold their leaves on hot sunny days to reduce the amount of thermal radiation collected. They also close the stomata, which preserves water, but also slows water conduction and the elimination of oxygen and other waste products. By watering on a hot sunny day, this increases humidity and will help with transpiration. If you live in a humid climate, as long as the soil is moist, I see no reason to water mid-day.