Considering this tragic death toll of 1980, the National Weather Service (NWS) has stepped up its efforts to alert more effectively the general public and appropriate authorities to the hazards of heat waves--those prolonged excessive heat/humidity episodes.

Based on the latest research findings, the NWS has devised the "Heat Index"(HI), (sometimes referred to as the "apparent temperature"). The HI, given in degrees F, is an accurate measure of how hot it really feels when the relative humidity (RH) is added to the actual air temperature.