The foreign-continuum absorption of water vapour in the far-infrared (50–500 cm−1)

•H2O foreign-continuum absorption is retrieved at 296 K in the 50-500 cm−1 range.•First laboratory measurements in the wide 90-330 cm−1 interval including the range of maximum intensity of H2O pure rotational band.•Expected pressure dependences of the continuum are verified.•The foreign-continuum cross-sections for O2, N2 and dry air are derived separately and used for data validation.