Feels Like Index

Why is the Feel Like Index important?

Sweating is a natural process your body uses to cool down in order to maintain the ideal body temperature. When the body gets too hot, it starts to perspire or sweat to cool itself off. If the sweat is not able to evaporate, the body cannot regulate its temperature. Evaporation is a cooling process, so when sweat is evaporated from the body, the body cools down. If the amount of moisture in the air, known as relative humidity is high, the rate of sweat from the body is reduced because at high relative humidity, the ability of the atmosphere to hold additional moisture decreases. This means that the human body feels warmer in humid conditions and the reverse is true, the human body feels cooler when the relative humidity decreases, because the rate of sweating increases. There is direct relationship between the air temperature and relative humidity and the Feels Like Index: as the air temperature and relative humidity increase, the feels like index increases; as the air temperature and relative humidity decreases, the feels like index decreases.

Feels like Index Explained

The Feels Like Index, traditionally called the heat index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature– how hot it actually feels. This has important considerations for the human body's comfort.

Protective Measures

  • Stay hydrated and take breaks in the shade as necessary when working outdoors
  • Check up on those vulnerable to heat, such as the elderly, those socially isolated and chronically ill
  • Avoid leaving kids or pets locked or unattended in vehicles