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Dr. Jane Baldwin: Humidity and climate change

July 14, 2026

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It’s not just the heat intensifying with climate change. Rising humidity levels are also making hot weather more dangerous. On July 14, SciLine interviewed Dr. Jane Baldwin, an assistant professor of earth system science at the University of California, Irvine.

TV bundle includes:

Soundbite (SOT)
VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
Raw, full-length interview video & log with timecodes (upon request via form below)
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Soundbite (SOT) and pronouncer

Downloadable video of the soundbite

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Click for VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)

ANCHOR
CLIMATE CHANGE ISN’T JUST INCREASING TEMPERATURES.
IT’S ALSO INCREASING HUMIDITY LEVELS.

VO
DOCTOR JANE BALDWIN IS A CLIMATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE.
SHE SAYS AS THE PLANET WARMS… THE ATMOSPHERE CAN HOLD MORE MOISTURE… LEADING TO HIGHER HUMIDITY.
THAT EXTRA HUMIDITY MAKES IT HARDER FOR THE BODY TO SWEAT AND COOL ITSELF… MAKING THE COMBINATION OF EXTREME HEAT AND HUMIDITY EVEN MORE DANGEROUS.

SOT
Duration: :25
Super: Dr. Jane Baldwin – Professor, University of California, Irvine
“Even though heat waves in many ways aren’t very visually dramatic events compared to something like a hurricane, they also have some of the highest levels of adverse health impacts, like deaths associated with them. And so, the more we’re aware about these events, the more can prevent unnecessary deaths or hospitalizations or other negative health consequences from these events.”

VO
DOCTOR BALDWIN SAYS THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT MANY OF THE WORST HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXTREME HEAT ARE PREVENTABLE.
SHE RECOMMENDS STAYING HYDRATED… MOVING EXERCISE INDOORS WHEN POSSIBLE… AND CHECKING ON NEIGHBORS WHO MAY BE MORE VULNERABLE… LIKE OLDER ADULTS… PEOPLE WHO ARE PREGNANT OR SICK… AND THOSE WHO WORK OUTSIDE.
SHE ALSO SAYS COOLING CENTERS CAN PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE TO ESCAPE THE HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY.

Raw, full-length interview covers:

How climate change is increasing moisture in the atmosphere and driving more humid conditions;
Why warmer temperatures combined with high humidity can create greater health risks;
What is known about how heat-health risks are growing with climate change, and what researchers are still working to understand;
How humidity also affects extreme weather that can compound with heat; and
What people and communities can do to stay safe as hot and humid weather becomes more common.