TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Today’s Runcast Index is a 4. That’s slightly higher than the past few days when we’ve been under Heat Advisories, but it’s still extreme heat and humidity that can be dangerous when exercising outside.
As always, you need to quickly get inside if you can hear thunder, but if it’s just a light rain, take advantage of the cooler air and go out for the quick run. Don’t wear headphones, so you can hear if thunder develops.
Highs reach the low 90s today, but with a dew point of 74, it will feel like 103 or higher for a few hours. A dew point of 74 is tropical air and won’t allow for much sweat to evaporate off your skin during a workout. Because your body will then work overtime to try to cool you down, it saps the energy you normally have for exercise. Your workout will feel harder. Compensate for that by running slower or for less time and don’t be too intense in your exercise.
Try to find some shade and wear a hat and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun. You may want to avoid the hottest time of the day, but if you wait until the evening, that’s when we have the best chance for thunderstorms. By tomorrow morning, it will be dry, but the humidity remains high, so continue to limit your workout intensity.
