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Heat Index Calculator

Calculate heat index from temperature and humidity with heat exhaustion risk levels.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What Heat Index Calculator does, with a checked example

Hot air and humid air can share a thermometer reading but place very different demands on the body. This calculator takes an air temperature and relative humidity and returns the heat index, an apparent temperature, plus a heat-illness risk level. Enter humidity as a percentage: fifty percent is 50, not 0.50. The result often surprises users because increasing humidity can raise the apparent temperature sharply without changing the measured air temperature. It describes combined conditions, not a new thermometer reading or a personal body-temperature estimate.

Worked example

A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.

Input

Air temperature: 90 degrees F; relative humidity: 50%

Expected output

Heat index: 94.6 degrees F, or about 95 degrees F; risk level: Extreme Caution

The standard heat-index equation gives 94.5969 degrees F for these inputs, which rounds to 94.6 degrees F at one decimal place or 95 degrees F at whole-degree precision. That apparent temperature is in the Extreme Caution range.

How the result is produced

1

Combining temperature and humidity

Start with the measured or forecast air temperature and relative humidity, not dew point. The heat-index relationship combines both values because humidity affects how readily perspiration can evaporate. It reports an equivalent apparent temperature for that pair of conditions. Temperature and humidity are not averaged, and a ten-point humidity change does not add a fixed number of degrees in every case.

2

Interpreting the risk band

After determining the apparent temperature, the calculator assigns a heat-risk band such as Extreme Caution. The band summarizes the increasing potential for heat-related illness during prolonged exposure or strenuous activity. It does not determine a safe exposure time, prescribe water intake, estimate a worker's core temperature, or decide whether a particular person can safely continue an activity.

Good uses

  • Checking a 90 degrees F, 50% humidity forecast before deciding whether to move an outdoor run, practice, or event to a cooler hour.
  • Comparing temperature-humidity pairs for morning and afternoon before scheduling landscaping, roofing, loading, or other exposed work.
  • Turning readings from a thermometer and humidity sensor into a heat-index value for a workplace or event heat briefing.

Limits and checks

  • Standard heat-index guidance assumes shade and light wind. Full sunshine can increase the apparent value by up to 15 degrees F, so a shaded calculation can understate conditions on a roof, sports field, or unshaded work site.
  • Heat index addresses hot-weather humidity, not every kind of apparent temperature. It is not a substitute for wind chill in cold conditions, and results outside hot, humid conditions have limited decision value.
  • The category is a general hazard signal, not medical clearance. Exertion, clothing or protective equipment, acclimatization, age, medications, illness, hydration, and access to cooling can make personal risk higher or lower than the label suggests.

Common questions

Why is the heat index higher than the air temperature?

High humidity slows the evaporation of perspiration, reducing one of the body's main cooling mechanisms. The same measured temperature can therefore correspond to a higher apparent temperature and greater heat stress. No, the result does not mean the surrounding air has warmed; it describes how the temperature-humidity combination is experienced under the heat-index assumptions.

Can I enter dew point instead of relative humidity?

No. Dew point and relative humidity both describe moisture, but they are not interchangeable numeric inputs. Relative humidity depends on air temperature, so a dew-point value must first be converted using the accompanying temperature. Entering a dew point such as 70 as though it meant 70% relative humidity can produce a substantially different heat index.

References and verification

The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.

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