Well, summer is now here in the Northern Hemisphere, and if you don't believe it, just go outside for awhile! But, how hot is it really?

Here in the southern U.S., we're accustomed to the term "Heat Index," which is a combination of temperature and humidity. But, now the folks at AccuWeather have created what they call the RealFeel Temperature Index, which takes into consideration not just the temperature and the humidity, but also wind, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation and elevation on the human body--everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels.

For example, as provided by AccuWeather, on a steamy July day without a breath of wind, with the noon sun beating down, the official temperature (which is measured in the shade) may be 92 degrees. But when you stand outside in the scorching sun, it may feel like 118 degrees. In contrast, when the official temperature is 92 degrees with a nice breeze blowing and low humidity, with bright sunshine but late in the day so the sun intensity is not as strong, it may feel like 86 degrees.