Should I hang my washing out today?

The four things that decide it

Drying is evaporation, and evaporation needs somewhere for the water to go. That makes humidity the first thing to check, not temperature. Air at 55% humidity has room to take moisture from your washing. Air at 85% is already close to full, and a warm still day at 85% will leave a thick towel damp after eight hours.

Wind is the quiet hero. A steady breeze of 8 to 15 mph constantly replaces the damp air sitting against the fabric with drier air, which is why a grey blustery day often beats a bright still one. Temperature matters least of the three, though below about 10°C evaporation slows enough that thick items struggle.

Rain is the veto. It does not matter how good the other three are if a shower arrives at two o'clock and you are at work until six.

Reading today without an app

Step outside and pay attention to how the air feels rather than how bright it is. Heavy, close, still air is a humidity problem, and sunshine will not rescue it. Air that feels sharp and moving is drying air, even when it is cold and overcast.

Then check the hourly rain forecast for the window you actually have. Most people get caught not by a day that was wrong, but by a day that was right for three hours and wrong for the fourth.

When the answer is no

A no today is often a yes tomorrow, and knowing which is worth more than the individual verdict. Settled weather stays settled, so a dry, breezy day with nothing in the forecast will usually hold. Showery weather is the opposite, and the gap between two showers is genuinely brilliant drying air, cool and moving and thirsty.

If today is out, dry indoors with a window cracked and the door shut, and put the next load on when the forecast turns.