In the spirit of good empiricism I stopped by the nearest mega-multi-purpose-store that makes America so American (don't you dare judge me) and purchased a pocket sized digital thermometer/humidity gauge combo for only $8.99. I carried that thing (and at least 100 additional pounds of crap that I probably wont need here in Belize but looked so pretty and useful up there in the USA) all the way back to my village. And it works too. But back to the problem of the heat/humidity interaction, known as the Heat Index to ever-zealous weather reporters. This was a job for the internet. It was here that I found a great Heat Index table that I immediately copied onto the yellow ledger that was on Jeff's desk and later taped to my bedroom wall. No longer would I be curious about the temperature outside (which is always the same as the temperature inside) as well as how hot it felt to us of the human species. Which brings up the question, does the heat index apply to cats and lizards as well? Anyways, here is what I learned during my first day as amateur jungle weather recorder.
- 7am: temp = 80 F, humidity = 74%, feels like = 83 F (chilly)
- 2pm: temp = 91 F, humidity = 79%, feels like = 112 F (I’m melting)
- 7pm: temp = 84 F, humidity = 78%, feels like = 93 F (I’m not even sweating)
I will resist the urge to bore you with the weather every time I write, but do expect updates on the most extreme situations. For instance, if the Heat Index tops 125 F, you will be hearing about it because that is just ridiculous. With that, I leave you to enjoy your climate controlled 68.