“Why, in central Florida, are the ‘feels like’ temperatures suddenly 20 degrees or more higher than the ‘real’ or actual temperatures? In the past, the difference between the two was usually four to eight degrees or so.” – Lou

Earlier in the year, when moisture is just starting to escape the tropics, the heat index may only be a couple of degrees warmer than the actual temperature. But now with moisture maximized in the middle of the rainy season, heat indices can run 10-15 degrees above the actual temperature.

Moisture matters because it alters your body’s response to being hot. Moisture in the air works as a barrier against sweat removal from your body. Muggy air traps your body’s moisture on your skin and can actually add moisture to your body if it really gets muggy. 

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The heat index, which describes what the temperature “feels like” to you, is the metric that meteorologists use to describe this balance of moisture between you and the air. You can find more on the heat index here.  

That difference between the heat index and the actual temperature changes from month to month. 

July and August can be absolutely brutal when both temperatures and moisture levels have hit their maximum. When humidity is at its highest, your body becomes very inefficient at removing heat from itself. This raises your body temperature and can lead to heat illnesses. As a former Floridian, I know all too well what it is like to step out the front door and feel like you have to swim through the humidity to get to the car. 

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There are a couple of reasons for some increases in heat indices over the years, too. 

Along with ground temperatures, the oceans are warming, which means the air above those bodies of water can hold more moisture than when they were cooler. This moisture-laden air ends up on our front lawns and pushes heat indices higher than in past years. I think that folks who have been in Florida for decades would be able to feel the difference. 

Outside of Florida, tropical air is making it much farther away from the tropics, too. We’ve written more stories about oppressive heat being transported through the Midwest and Northeast in recent years.