Boston is in the midst of another heat advisory, with record heat and humidity expected through Friday, and temperatures to remain in the 90s through Tuesday. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Public Health

With Record Heat Expected, BU Again Opens Cooling Stations for Students

Locations will be accessible through Tuesday to provide relief for Terriers without AC

With Boston in the grip of another heat advisory and record heat and soaring humidity expected to make the heat index feel over 100 degrees on Thursday and Friday, BU is opening cooling stations across the University’s Charles River Campus for the second time this summer for students seeking some relief. 

Starting Thursday, August 4, and continuing through Tuesday, August 9, the George Sherman Union will be open to students from 6 am to 11 pm. In addition, the first floor of the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering, at 610 Comm Ave, will be open Thursday through Monday from 6 to 11 pm. The basement study lounge for the South Campus brownstones at Audubon Court (514–522 Park Drive) will also be open Thursday through Monday from 6 to 11 pm. Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-90s through at least Monday.

In addition to the cooling centers, the University has set up more than five dozen bottle-filling stations for members of the BU community. (See above for locations, or click on the image to be taken to an interactive map.) 

“Heat-related illnesses can present in a variety of ways, including nausea, vomiting, severe headache, muscle cramps, heavy sweating, as well as lack of sweating,” says Judy Platt, BU’s chief health officer and executive director of Student Health Services. “While many of our BU buildings are air-conditioned, we are opening several cooling stations to provide additional opportunities to prevent illness during the current heat wave. Staying hydrated and cool are important prevention measures. Students who are concerned that they may be experiencing nonemergency heat-related illness are encouraged to reach out to Student Health Services for an appointment. Students, faculty, or staff who are on campus and believe they may be experiencing a heat-related emergency, such as heat stroke, should call BUPD at 617-353-2121. Students, faculty, or staff who are off campus should call 911.”

Signs of heat stroke, which occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature, include an extremely high body temperature (above 103°F); red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating); rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and unconsciousness. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following tips to reduce the risk of heat-related illness:

Wear appropriate clothing: Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.

Stay cool indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Keep in mind: Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, they will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off. Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home.

Schedule outdoor activities carefully: Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it’s coolest, like morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.

Pace yourself: Cut down on exercise during the heat. If you’re not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually. If exertion in the heat makes your heart pound and leaves you gasping for breath, STOP all activity. Get into a cool area or into the shade, and rest, especially if you become light-headed, confused, weak, or faint.

Wear sunscreen: Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. If you must go outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes prior to going out. Continue to reapply it according to the package directions.

Avoid hot and heavy meals: They add heat to your body!

Drink plenty of fluids: Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.

• Warning: If your doctor limits the amount you drink or has you on water pills, ask how much you should drink while the weather is hot.

• Stay away from very sugary or alcoholic drinks—these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.

Replace salt and minerals: Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. If you are on a low-salt diet, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic conditions, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets.