Accuweather's Leslie Hudson explains how to spot the risks of indoor humidity and what you can do to stay safe.

Orange County

Doctors are warning that high indoor humidity can have serious health consequences, particularly for individuals with preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma or COPD. Excess moisture in the air can trap pollutants, trigger asthma attacks, and create an environment conducive to mold and dust mites. 

Experts recommend maintaining indoor humidity between 30 and 50 percent, using tools like hygrometers to monitor levels. Signs of excessive humidity include condensation on windows and musty smells. To reduce risks, doctors advise running fans, using dehumidifiers, cleaning air conditioning filters, and circulating air. The CDC's guidelines and features like AccuWeather's indoor humidity tracker can help homeowners manage indoor air quality.

Doctors warn of dangers from indoor humidity

It may be September, but make no mistake, summer is still going strong across many parts of the country. When humidity spikes outside, it often follows us indoors. Ooh, and doctors say too much moisture in your home's air can do more than make you sweat. Leslie, you caught my attention. How about that? Acura, this is Leslie Hudson. It's live in New Orleander, Florida with the health risks. Oh, gosh. And what else we need to watch out for. If it's not one thing, it's another, Ari. We're always tracking something, right? And yeah, it's really a hidden danger. A lot of people don't think about high humidity inside your home, but it really can be a problem. And those warm months and high humidity go hand in hand. And you can see over my shoulder here, this is my smart thermostat. It's a little lower now because I have lights on, but typically I have it a little higher. And then also you can see here one of my big humidifiers. Now, as you may or may not know, I live in Florida, so we deal with humidity pretty much year round. So I have big humidifiers all around my house trying to control the humidity inside here because again, it can be dangerous to your health, especially if you have some preexisting health conditions, even if you have bad allergies. So high humidity inside your home can trap those pollutants. It can trigger asthma and create a perfect breeding ground for the mold and dust mites. Doctors say that the link between the indoor and that humidity health is new. But with heat and humidity on the rise in many regions, it's a reminder that what you can't see can take a toll. The warning signs might be just very small, like maybe a wheeze or coughing or just feeling off. But when you sweat, you don't evaporate and your body can't cool down. That internal stress can build, raising the risk for heat exhaustion, fatigue, and dehydration. Doctors say that moisture in the air can inflame your airways and over time, it can put your lungs at risk. Most patients of mine who have asthma or COPD can specifically tell me when they feel the humidity is rising. I mean, so a lot of times their body is able to tell them via different symptoms, whether it's just increased coughing or increased wheezing or increased shortness of breath or chest tightness. So most patients are able to feel the early onset of it. And usually when they do, the main thing is to try to avoid the humidity. So the CDC recommends that you keep your indoor humidity somewhere between 30 and 50%. That will help. You can also get a hygrometer to gauge that. If you're seeing a window condensation on your windows, which we see often here in Florida, that is also a sign that the humidity is too high in your home. If it smells musty, you want to make sure that you've got your fans running, you run those exhaust vents, and also make sure that you've got those humidifiers going. Again, I have one just about in every room in my house and keep them pretty much running 24-7. And also the best way to protect your air and your health is to make sure that you're staying out of that humidity as much as possible. Clean those AC filters as well and circulate the air as much as possible until that high humidity passes. And also you want to make sure that you check with the AccuWeather indoor humidity feature because that also can tell you whether you're dealing with high humidity in your home. It's an exclusive feature we have here at AccuWeather. You can check it online or also on your phone. And here in Florida, it is almost always in the 90s. We are expecting some cooler weather, of course, maybe in another month or so, but for now it's going to be very humid here in the central Florida area. Reporting live near Orlando, Florida, I'm Leslie Hudson. Back to you. Leslie, great report. I was expecting more of like a Cribs edition that you just like to take us into your house a little bit more. But you know, great, great, great information. Here's my indoor theater and my indoor pool. Maybe next hit. Maybe next time.

The U.S. military struck a drug-carrying boat hailing from Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, as tensions spike between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan government. Charlie D'Agata has more.

Caracas

U.S. military strikes drug-carrying boat from Venezuela, Rubio says

The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday released over 33,000 pages of documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Washington

33,000 pages of Jeffrey Epstein documents released by House panel

Belgium joins the ranks of Australia, France, Canada and the UK, all who have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state at the UNGA next week in a bid to ramp up pressure on the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza.

Brussels

Middle East Conflict

Belgium to recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly

A powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 1,400 people, according to the Afghan Red Crescent Society. Thousands more were  injured.

Kunar

At least 1,400 killed in powerful Afghanistan earthquake

The death toll from Afghanistan's worst earthquake in years jumped to over 1,100 with thousands more injured, as difficult terrain hindered rescue efforts in isolated villages of the country's mountainous eastern region.

Taliban appeals for aid after quake kills over 1100 in Afghanistan

The leaders of Russia, China and India showcased a renewed commitment to co-operation on the second day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. Analysts says the friendliness is designed to project an unified alternative to the West.

Tianjin

Russia, China, India tout renewed co-operation

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was disrupted by jamming that authorities suspect was the result of Russian interference in Bulgaria.

Plovdiv

Von der Leyen's plane affected by alleged Russian GPS jamming

The world's leading genocide scholars' association has passed a resolution saying that the legal criteria have been met to establish Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, its president said on Monday (September 1).

Jerusalem

Israel committing genocide in Gaza, scholars' association says

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined a new global security and economic order at a regional summit on Monday (September 1), as India and Russia continued to express strong ties between their nations.

China's Xi, Russia's Putin share vision for new global order

A devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan late Sunday, killing more than 800 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said. CBS News senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams reports.

Kabul

Powerful earthquake in Afghanistan kills hundreds, destroys villages

Iran-backed Houthis raided offices of the United Nations’ food, health and children's agencies in Yemen’s capital, detaining several UN employees, officials said. The rebels tightened security across Sanaa following the Israeli killing of their prime minister and several Cabinet members.

Sana'a

Houthis raid UN offices in Yemen, detain 11 employees

A large buildup of U.S. naval forces in and around the Southern Caribbean has officials in Caracas and experts in the United States asking: is the move aimed at combating drug cartels, as the Trump administration has suggested, or is it for something else entirely?

U.S. builds up forces in Caribbean as officials, experts concerned

Officials from the Trump administration spent the weekend pushing back against a U.S. appeals court ruling that most tariffs against Canada were illegal. Economic adviser Peter Navarro called the decision politically motivated.

Global Tariffs

Trump officials push back after court rules tariffs illegal

Israel's security cabinet is considering a plan to seize Gaza City with attacks ramping up over the weekend. The Israeli military has now ended a temporary pause of military action around aid delivery locations ahead of an expected 'full-scale assault'.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israel intensifying attacks ahead of planned seizure of Gaza City

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he's making every effort to stop President Trump from using the military to "invade states." But the White House claims the National Guard is needed to stop violent crime in Chicago.

Chicago

Trump threatens to send military to Chicago over crime

A young boy who had wandered away from his parents ended up on a closed monorail at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania this weekend. A bystander helped rescue the boy as a gathering crowd cheered. It's not clear how he made his way onto the monorail.

Hershey

Boy rescued from monorail track at Pennsylvania amusement park

A flotilla of boats carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, has set sail from Barcelona. On board are organisers from 44 countries, who say they're trying to break Israel's siege on the Strip.

Barcelona

Greta Thunberg onboard second aid flotilla heading for Gaza Strip

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi was committed to improving ties with China in a key meeting with President Xi Jinping, as the two leaders discussed the need to expand trade and investment ties against the backdrop of U.S. tariffs.

Beijing

Modi meets with Xi, vows to improve China ties

Pakistan's eastern Punjab province is facing one of the worst flood emergencies in recent history. Authorities say raging waters have affected the lives of more than 2 million people.

Punjab

Pakistan's Punjab province battered by historic flood

China’s Xi Jinping has welcomed Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and leaders from around 20 countries to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, a high-security gathering aimed at boosting Beijing’s influence and promoting "a multipolar world order."

Xi aims to show global south unity with Modi and Putin

Russia's Vladimir Putin is among a dozen leaders attending the regional security summit, which comes at a crunch moment in talks over his war on Ukraine, and for a summit that's demonstrating a strong show of unity among Global South leaders.

Putin arrives in China for key regional security summit

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson detailed his plan Saturday to resist President Trump's threatened immigration crackdown in his city. CBS News has learned the Trump administration plans to intensify immigration enforcement in the city as early as next week.

Chicago mayor pushes back on Trump's immigration crackdown

Russian strikes shook the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine overnight Friday, hitting a five-story apartment building, killing at least one person and injuring dozens more.

Zaporizhzhia

Russia continues assault on Ukrainian cities

For the first time since this week's deadly mass shooting at a Minneapolis church, which killed two young students and wounded more than a dozen people, a devastated community gathered Saturday at the site to attend Mass.

Minneapolis

Mass held at site of Minneapolis church shooting

The United States says it will not allow Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to New York next month for a United Nations gathering of world leaders, where several U.S. allies are set to recognise Palestine as a state.

New York

U.S bars Palestinian leadership from attending UN

The Department of Homeland Security is preparing for an immigration crackdown in Chicago as early as next week, sources told CBS News. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker blasted the Trump administration's plans.

Chicago immigration crackdown could happen next week, sources say

The Israeli military on Friday declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” before a new offensive in the Palestinian enclave's largest city. Israel is moving forward with plans to seize Gaza City despite growing international pressure to end the nearly two-year conflict.

Israel declares Gaza City a 'dangerous combat zone'

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been blocked from attending the UN General Assembly in New York next month. That's as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled visas for the Palestinian delegation.

U.S. blocks Palestinian officials from attending UN general assembly

The death toll of a devastating Russian air assault in Kyiv earlier this week has been revised upward to 25. Now European allies suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing U.S. President Donald Trump if he runs out the clock on Washington's peace efforts.

Breakdown