Lack of wind, humidity make 33ºC feel like 39ºC

Ever wondered why it feels hotter than what the Met department says the temperature is? Forecasts on weather sites on the internet show how it ‘feels’, against the actual temperature.

Weather apps call this “feel like” temperatures which are determined by the human comfort index. These are different from the air temperature which the Indian Meteorological Department measures.

“The temperature measured by IMD is the air temperature. How the temperature is perceived depends on factors like wind speed and humidity," said IMDHyderabad director Y.K. Reddy.

If the wind speed is higher, heat from the body would dissipate more easily. In such a situation, the “feels like” temperature is much lower, Mr Reddy said.

If the humidity is higher, the chances of sweat evaporating from the body is lower. The monsoon months, thus “feel like” they are warmer despite lower temperatures as the humidity levels are higher.

Popular weather applications also take into account the angle of the sun during the day to determine how a particular temperature would feel for the people.

Meteorologists say these numbers may have variations as it is generated from a computer model. “Websites determine the feel-like temperatures from the global data pool, to which IMD uploads its data. They calculate the wind speed, humidity along with sun exposure to arrive at how a temperature would feel, so we can expect a 5-10 per cent error to creep in,” Mr Reddy said

He said these were influenced by the western idea of temperature tolerance. A doctor from Khamman district was arrested for allegedly selling babies to childless couples. Khammam assistant commissioner of police P.V. Ganesh said Dr R. Srinivas runs a hospital in Kurivi of Mahbubababad district and had sold at least five newborns to childless parents over the last five years.”

The doctor has been booked under IPC Section 370 (disposing of any person as a slave) and relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Mr Ganesh said Dr Srinivas doctor sold the children for amounts ranging up to `2 lakh.

The doctor used to tell the parents of newborn babies that their child was unwell and would require expensive treatment. Most parents who were daily wage workers would abandon the children, who would be sold by the doctor.

A case had been booked in Mahbubabad district, a month ago against the doctor for conducting illegal sex determination tests.

The hospital in Kurivi will be sealed by health authorities.

The doctor has denied all allegations against him.