Insider Blog: Wet bulb globe temperature can be a more effective heat reading

With the recent heat, you've definitely heard mention of the heat index in forecasts. This metric is a very useful combination of heat and humidity but doesn't account for many other factors in summertime. Sunshine alone can add up to 15 degrees to the feels-like, and the heat index is based on shaded air temperatures. But other metrics for measuring the heat can be more useful, especially in work-intensive situations.

The wet bulb globe temperature was created to take more heat factors into account, including wind speed, sunlight, and sun angle. Though this provides a comprehensive look at the feels-like, the observations needed to produce a wet bulb value are usually very localized. This metric can be utilized for outdoor events and other plans and is becoming more prominent in forecasting as monitoring increases.