Impassioned appeals persuaded Orange County commissioners Tuesday to immediately lower the scorching temperature at which county cooling centers will open this summer.<\/p>\n
The threshold had been a scalding 108 degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s waaaay too high and a ridiculous number,\u201d said Val Mobley, clad in a Support Orlando Shelters t-shirt, as she urged the board to reduce the threshold. \u201cWe need to not overburden our hospitals\u2026because people are suffering from extreme heat.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the appeals, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings broke with protocol which typically requires a staff report and advance notice to the public of a proposed change in county policy. He asked the board to take action, calling the matter \u201ca public safety and a public health issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
They unanimously adopted a new threshold of 103 degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are quickly approaching the summer months. It\u2019s going to get hot,\u201d the mayor said.<\/p>\n
Mobley called the lower figure \u201cmore normal\u201d but still not great, though it is among the lowest in the Sunshine State.<\/p>\n
She said people without shelter in Florida often feel uncomfortable outside when temperatures top 90 degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s only going to get worse, and we all know that, so let\u2019s do what we can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The thermometer doesn\u2019t trigger opening of cooling centers. The heat index does.<\/p>\n
According to the National Weather Service, \u201cThe heat index, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.\u00a0 This has important considerations for the human body\u2019s comfort.\u201d<\/p>\n
In July 2024, the National Weather Service placed all of Central Florida under a daytime heat advisory, prompting Orange County to unveil a \u201cheat plan\u201d that provided free bus rides to air-conditioned public spaces, including county-run community centers, when the temperature is excessive.<\/p>\n
Excessive heat warnings are generally issued by the National Weather Service within 12 hours of forecasts that predict the heat index will reach 105\u00b0 or higher for at least two consecutive days and night-time air temperatures are not expected to drop below 75\u00b0 F.<\/p>\n
The index also considers the duration of a heat wave because longer hot spells generally cause more health issues.<\/p>\n