Hieronymus' Blog

We always hear about "heat index" but there are a couple of ways this could be measured.  Hopefully one of the weather experts on this site can elucidate for us.

Obviously, there's temperature itself.  However there's the actual heat energy in the air (which increases with water vapor / humidity).  Yet there's also the efficacy of the body to consider, not to mention effects like sweating.

When they say "it feels like...", I sometimes feel they're not taking into consideration the effect of evaporative cooling on the body, since a hot summer day in FL at 94, when it is said "it feels like 103", for example, I know it feels hotter than in the high desert at 110.

Anyway, a more detailed explanation of the measurement of the "Heat Index" used in weather reports, when it is said "it feels like ...", would be appreciated.