Heat stress in Durham
Muggy Piedmont heat clings through long summers here, pushing humid afternoons into risky wet-bulb territory.
Light precautions for intense activity. Keep water handy.
Live wet-bulb globe temperature via the Liljegren (2008) method · automatically refreshed about every 30 minutes.
View Durham on the live mapContinuous work is fine; make sure hydration breaks are regular.
Screening guidance from ACGIH TLV, GHSA/KSI/NATA, and TB MED 507. WBGT is a composite index, not air temperature. These are acclimatized-population defaults — the unacclimatized, older, ill, or those on certain medications are at higher risk. Not a substitute for a required on-site WBGT reading or your employer / league / command policy.
Reading heat stress in Durham
Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is the heat measure that actually tracks danger to the body. Unlike the plain air temperature on your phone, it folds in humidity, wind, and direct sun — the factors that decide whether your sweat can still cool you. It’s the standard the military, athletic associations, and occupational-safety bodies use to call when outdoor activity is no longer safe.
That matters in Durham because muggy Piedmont heat clings through long summers here, pushing humid afternoons into risky wet-bulb territory. The number above is the live outdoor WBGT for the city right now; tap through to the live map to inspect any neighborhood, scrub the forecast hour by hour, and see the 7-day outlook.
Heat in Durham: common questions
What is the WBGT in Durham right now?
Right now it's about 68°F WBGT (caution heat stress). This page shows the live wet-bulb globe temperature for Durham, North Carolina, refreshed automatically about every 30 minutes. Open the live map for an exact reading at your neighborhood and an hour-by-hour forecast.
Why is WBGT more useful than the temperature for Durham?
Air temperature ignores humidity, wind, and sun — the things that decide whether heat is dangerous. Durham's climate (muggy Piedmont heat clings through long summers here, pushing humid afternoons into risky wet-bulb territory.) is exactly why a single "feels-like" or thermometer reading can understate the real risk. WBGT captures all of it in one number.
When is heat most dangerous in Durham?
Heat stress typically peaks in the early-to-mid afternoon, when sun load is highest. Plan strenuous outdoor activity for early morning or evening, hydrate ahead of time, and use the forecast scrubber on the live map to find the safest window.
Is WetBulbTracker free to use for Durham?
Yes. WetBulbTracker is free, needs no account, and works for anywhere on Earth — not just Durham. You can install it to your home screen and even set heat alerts.
Put Durham’s live heat stress on your site
A self-updating WBGT badge for schools, teams, camps, and local sites — it always shows the current reading and links back here.
<iframe src="https://wetbulbtracker.com/embed/durham-nc" width="340" height="150" style="border:0" title="Live WBGT — Durham, NC" loading="lazy"></iframe>Paste it into any website. The badge updates itself and links back here. Add ?theme=light for light sites.