Heat Index¶
The Heat Index (HI) is defined as the temperature the human body perceives in shady conditions when perspiration is limited due to increased relative humidity.
thermofeel computes the HI with two methods: Heat Index Simplified and Heat Index Adjusted.
More information:
- Blazejczyk, K., Epstein, Y., Jendritzky, G. et al. Comparison of UTCI to selected thermal indices. Int J Biometeorol 56, 515–535 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-011-0453-2
- NOAA/National Weather Service, Weather Prediction Center. The Heat Index Equation. https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex_equation.shtml
How to use¶
Simplified Heat Index¶
You need 2 m air temperature in Kelvin and relative humidity as a percentage. Please use NumPy arrays.
It returns the HI in Kelvin.
Adjusted Heat Index¶
You need 2 m air temperature and 2 m dew point temperature in Kelvin. Please use NumPy arrays.
It returns the HI in Kelvin.
Interpret the output¶
The HI is described in terms of danger of heat-related illnesses (NOAA/NWS classification):
| Heat Index (°C) | Risk |
|---|---|
| 27 – 32 | Caution |
| 32 – 39 | Extreme caution |
| 39 – 51 | Danger |
| ≥ 51 | Extreme danger |