Actual vs. Feels Like
A thermometer measures air temperature: the physical temperature of the atmosphere around you. But that number doesn’t always match what your body actually experiences. Wind can strip heat from your skin faster than still air, and humidity can stop your sweat from evaporating. The “feels like” temperature accounts for these effects.
In cold conditions, the feels like temperature is driven by wind chill. In warm conditions, it’s driven by the heat index. Both attempt to express what the air actually feels like on exposed skin.
Wind Chill
When wind blows across your skin, it carries away the thin layer of warm air your body maintains at the surface. The faster the wind, the faster you lose heat. Wind chill quantifies this: it tells you how cold the air feels on exposed skin given the current wind speed.
Wind chill only applies when the air temperature is below about 10°C (50°F). Above that, wind doesn’t produce a meaningful cooling effect beyond the actual temperature.
| Air Temp | Wind Speed | Feels Like | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0°C | 10 km/h | −3°C | |
| 0°C | 30 km/h | −7°C | |
| −10°C | 10 km/h | −15°C | |
| −10°C | 30 km/h | −20°C |
At extreme wind chills, exposed skin can develop frostbite in minutes.
Heat Index
In hot weather, your body cools itself by sweating. As sweat evaporates, it pulls heat away from your skin. But when humidity is high, the air is already saturated with moisture, so sweat evaporates more slowly, or not at all. Your body overheats, and the air feels hotter than the thermometer reads.
The heat index combines air temperature and relative humidity to express how hot it actually feels.
| Air Temp | Humidity (%) | Feels Like | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30°C | 40 | 30°C | |
| 30°C | 70 | 35°C | |
| 35°C | 40 | 37°C | |
| 35°C | 70 | 50°C |
A heat index above 40°C (104°F) is considered dangerous; heat exhaustion and heatstroke become real risks, especially during prolonged exposure or physical activity.
Why the Gap Matters
The difference between actual and feels like temperature can be surprisingly large. A winter day at −5°C (23°F) with strong wind can feel like −15°C (5°F) or colder. A summer afternoon at 32°C (90°F) with high humidity can feel like 42°C (108°F). Planning around the actual temperature alone can leave you underdressed in winter or underestimating heat risk in summer.
When They’re the Same
In calm, dry conditions, with low wind and moderate humidity, the feels like temperature will be very close to the actual temperature. This is common on mild days with light winds and humidity between 30–50%.
Other Factors
The feels like calculation is based on a standardised model of human heat loss, but individual experience varies. Factors that affect how temperature feels to you personally include:
- Sun exposure: Direct sunlight can make it feel several degrees warmer than the shade temperature.
- Clothing: Wind chill assumes exposed skin. A good windproof layer eliminates most of the effect.
- Activity level: Exercise generates body heat, making cold feel more tolerable and heat feel worse.
- Acclimatisation: People adapted to hot climates tolerate heat better, and vice versa.
How Airpult Shows Feels Like
On Airpult, the feels like temperature is shown alongside the actual temperature on the forecast page. When conditions are calm, the two will be similar. When wind or humidity push them apart, you’ll see the difference at a glance so you can dress and plan accordingly. Use the explore page to search for any location and check its forecast.
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