'The reason for this is that, normally, when we're hot, we sweat, and that sweat evaporates off our skin, cooling us down.' 'So the temperature could be 29 ☌, but it feels a very warm 38 ☌ ,' adds Sturrock. On the opposite side of the spectrum, when humidity is the key factor, it can often feel a lot warmer - this is often the case in tropical regions. 'The reason this occurs is that we all have a thin, warm layer of air around our body, and the wind comes along, and it strips away that layer, leaving our skin exposed so that we feel colder.' 'Then, when you head outdoors, you feel it's a lot chillier than 22 ☌.'

'So, for example, if you're about to head outdoors, you check the temperature forecast, and it says 22 ☌, so you decide to leave the jumper at home,' explains Jenny Sturrock, senior meteorologist at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

This is called wind chill, and there's even a chart that addresses it. The truth is that wind and relative humidity can dramatically change how someone experiences the air temperature outdoors.įor instance, when the wind is especially strong, it will make us feel colder. On the other hand, the 'feels like' temperature is calculated to understand how an average person would feel, dressed for the current season, outside. The official temperature is normally a recording of the air temperature from a thermometer installed on weather stations, radars, and meteorological observatories. The 'feels like' temperature is a practical way of helping people better understand how they're going to feel when they get outside, no matter the time of the day. It's because people often comment that it's a lot hotter or a lot colder than what the temperature or the observation tells them. The 'feels like' temperature considers three key factors: the actual air temperature, the strength of the wind at around five feet, and relative humidity.īut why is there a need to differentiate both measuring methods? The explanation for this subtle yet relevant variation between concepts lies in the variables taken into consideration to define 'feels like' temperature. There is a difference between the actual outside temperature and the so-called 'feels like' temperature. Updated twice an hour, this selection of weather stations from around the UK gives a quick and simple way to find out what the current weather conditions are right across the country.Actual Temperature vs.

What is the current temperature