KARACHI: Explaining the phenomenon of feels-like temperature, Ameer Hyder Laghari, Chief Meteorologist at the Pakistan Meteorological Department, said that the feels-like temperature, also known as the apparent temperature, represents how hot the air actually feels to the human body rather than the temperature recorded by a thermometer.

It is influenced not only by the ambient temperature but also by humidity, which refers to the amount of moisture present in the air.

He said that on hot and humid days, high moisture levels in the atmosphere slow the evaporation of sweat from the skin.

Since evaporation is one of the body’s primary cooling mechanisms, a reduced rate of sweat evaporation makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself, causing conditions to feel significantly hotter than the actual air temperature.

This effect is measured through the heat index, which indicates how hot the weather feels to the human body.

For instance, he explained, if the air temperature is around 38°C or 39°C, high humidity can push the perceived or feels-like temperature to 45°C or even higher, depending on the percentage of moisture present in the air, increasing discomfort and the risk of heat-related illnesses.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026