In recent days, many cities have seen scorching heat. Some netizens claimed meteorologists are deliberately hiding the real temperature. The China Meteorological Administration responded: “under-reporting” high temperatures does not exist, and the gap comes from confusing measured temperature with “how it feels.”
The official number comes from a thermometer placed 1.5 meters above the ground, inside a white ventilated box called a Stevenson screen. The design is standardized by the World Meteorological Organization so that temperatures in Tokyo and in Lanzhou can actually be compared. It is not placed on hot asphalt or in direct sunlight.
Research shows that between noon and two in the afternoon, the difference between the air temperature at that standard height and the surface of a paved road can exceed 10 degrees C. That is why “it feels like over 40” and “the forecast says 38” can both be true at the same time.
“Feels like” - or apparent temperature - is shaped by humidity, wind, sun, cloud and even the clothes you are wearing. In humid heat, sweat cannot evaporate and you feel hotter than the thermometer reads; in dry heat, the same air temperature feels milder. Understanding this distinction turns a frustrating headline into a useful piece of public science.