As Mississippi continues to endure brutal heat conditions, high school sports officials have introduced new safety guidelines for practices.
The Mississippi High School Activities Association is now utilizing the WetBulb globe temperature as the standard for determining safe conditions. Under the new guidelines, all outdoor practices must stop if the temperature exceeds 92 degrees under the new model. The model will account for sunlight, relative humidity, wind speed, and temperature.
“The sports medicine community has long recognized that the thermometer alone does not tell the story of heat safety, with factors like direct sunlight, humidity, wind, and air pressure playing a large role in how hot it ‘feels’ compared to what the thermometer reads,” a release from the MHSAA said.
Officials say utilizing the WetBulb globe temperature will be cost-efficient, as athletics personnel at schools can download free apps on their smartphones that give accurate readings that coincide with the new guidelines. This will eliminate the need for schools to purchase equipment to assess the temperature.
The MHSAA added that the WetBulb globe temperature is a more in-depth means of analyzing weather conditions. While thermometers measure simply temperature of the air that comes into contact with the sensor and heat index is calculated in a shady area, the new model gives a better overall estimate of how severe the heat stress is on those engaged in outdoor activities.