After several days of oppressive weather, that solid, scientific explanation today from National Weather Service meteorologists isn't as soothing as their forecast for tonight: trade winds, 10 to 20 mph.

"People think it's hot," said Jeff Powell, lead forecaster. "What people are feeling is the high amount of water vapor in the air, and that doesn't allow your sweat to evaporate. You cool off when your sweat evaporates. When that doesn't happen, you get the impression it is warmer."

With relative humidity above 90 percent and trade winds at next to nothing, it's easy to get that impression.

In Honolulu yesterday, the high was 86 degrees with overnight lows in the mid 70s. Powell predicted much of the same temperatures for today, mid- to upper 80s, dropping to the low-to-mid 70s tonight.

Cooler but not cool.

"You might get a little drying but, the temperatures will be the same," he said. "You will still have the same sultry conditions."

Returning trade winds should begin to make conditions more bearable, but it will take awhile.

Until then, console yourself with the fact that you are not on the East Coast, where high humidity and high temperatures are wreaking havoc on the heat index, which is to summer what wind-chill is to winter.

Meteorologists don't measure the heat index here because it never stays hot long enough to prompt that, Powell said.

Still, it might help you understand why current conditions make you feel so uncomfortable.

Plug in the numbers and it isn't any hotter. But it feels like 102 degrees.