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It's middle of the summer. Instead of out there to enjoying the season, I'm hiding indoor. Why? An excessive heat warning has been issued for the Baltimore-Washington DC area with heat index values of 110 expected. Yikes!
Yes, according to the National Weather Service, heat index is "what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature" at a given location. But why the combo? You ask.
Our bodies protect us from overheating through perspiration. However, if the air is already saturated, no room for the perspiration to evaporate. And our bodies can't cool off. This is why the Heat Index is also called the "Real Feel" temperature.
Further, it goes without say, the heat index would reduce if one moves from under the sun to under the shade. Even the humidity stays the same, the temperature would be cooler under the shade.
For reference, the NWS has the heat index listed as: Caution (80 - 90), Extreme Caution (90 - 103), Danger (103 - 124), Extreme Danger (125 or higher).
What's the heat index where you are?
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