<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia is experiencing an </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/winter-weather-forecast-australia-high-rain-temperatures-snowfall/1d125063-9fd1-43f2-a990-721beb29116b" rel="" target="_blank" title="unusually warm winter"><span>unusually warm winter</span></a><span> but it doesn't feel that way all the time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Between 'bomb cyclones' and polar blasts, many Aussies have been shivering through what have felt like bitingly cold mornings and nights.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But what the weather feels like and what the actual temperature is don't always align.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mushroom-cook-murder-convictions-appealproof-expert/d94b8ef9-677c-40dd-9f06-258dbe83232d" target="_blank"><strong><span>Mushroom cook murder convictions 'appeal-proof': expert</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That's why the Bureau of Meteorology and weather apps report a 'feels like' temperature alongside the usual ambient temperature readings.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Also known as the apparent temperature, the 'feels like' reading is supposed to reflect how warm or cool and adult would feel outdoors.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>So what makes it different from the actual temperature, and can you trust it?</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/feels-like-temperature-vs-actual-what-is-the-difference-explained/ad93cb4f-9d11-4dd4-ba19-df84bdb25971" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>'Feels like' temperature vs ambient temperature</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The temperature we're used to seeing on weather reports is the ambient temperature.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This is the temperature of the air as it is measured by meteorological instruments outside in the shade and sheltered from the wind.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But people don't spend all their time outside in the shade and sheltered from the wind.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That's where the 'feels like' or apparent temperature comes in.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/strong-winds-top-100km-hr-in-four-states-major-cold-front/1ff69780-ea69-4091-bae5-10f7a76ff5a2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Four states buffeted by winds over 100km/hr amid polar blast</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This temperature represents how warm or cool an adult would feel outdoors in the shade and is calculated based on the ambient temperature, wind chill and humidity.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wind chill can make it feel colder, while humidity makes it feel warmer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As a result, the 'feels like' temperature can be higher, lower or the same as the ambient temperature.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Who calculates the 'feels like' temperature?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meteorologists at the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) calculate the 'feels like' temperature using a specific formula.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The equation is AT = Ta + 0.33E - 0.7WS - 4 where:</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><span>'AT' is the apparent temperature or 'feels like' temperature</span></li><li><span>'Ta' is the ambient temperature</span></li><li><span>'E' is the water vapour pressure, a measure of humidity</span></li><li><span>'WS' is the current wind speed</span></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>By substituting the ambient temperature, water vapour pressure and wind speed measurements into the formula, meteorologists can find the 'feels like' temperature.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/generative-ai-environmental-impact-concerns-eco-anxiety/6303df5a-2d18-43ca-9e82-424028a99ab9" target="_blank"><strong><span>Young Australians are refusing to use AI for fear of what it will do to the planet - and experts aren't surprised</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/05/20/06/56/nsw-wild-weather-heavy-rain-storms-lash-state-coast"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/9vZT0P21g34od_vTs02WUjXhM1A=/0x204:2448x1581/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F8627d997-56a4-4353-a487-50ded51447bd" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/9vZT0P21g34od_vTs02WUjXhM1A=/0x204:2448x1581/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F8627d997-56a4-4353-a487-50ded51447bd 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/YVO0kBk6L-d5FRe0PraPwF8OylA=/0x204:2448x1581/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F8627d997-56a4-4353-a487-50ded51447bd 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Tourists come across extraordinary sight at Uluru</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/05/20/06/56/nsw-wild-weather-heavy-rain-storms-lash-state-coast">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Is the 'feels like' temperature an official measurement?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yes, though its official name is 'apparent temperature'.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Should I dress based on the 'feels like' temperature?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 'feels like' temperature is based on what the weather outside will feel like to a human body, so you can usually trust it to help you decide what to wear.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That said, the 'feels like' temperature is calculated based on the temperature in the shade and doesn't take the effect of direct sunlight into account.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As a result, you may feel hotter in the sun than the 'feels like' temperature predicts and should dress accordingly if you plan to be in direct sunlight.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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