Boston’s first heat wave of the season is expected to arrive on Tuesday with heat indices anticipated to reach between 95 and 105 degrees over the next four days. Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community

Campus Life

As Boston Braces for First Heat Wave of Season, BU Opens Cooling Stations for Students

Plus, tips for staying safe when the temperature soars

Summer is coming this week, a little ahead of schedule. The first heat wave of the year arrives on Tuesday and is expected to linger through Friday, bringing record heat and soaring humidity. With heat indices expected to hit between 95 and 105 degrees each day, the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the region. In response, BU is opening cooling stations across the University’s Charles River Campus for students seeking some relief. 

Starting Tuesday, June 18, and continuing through Friday, June 21, the George Sherman Union, at 775 Comm Ave, will be open to students from 7 am to midnight. In addition, the lobby at the Questrom School of Business (595 Comm Ave) will be open from 7 am to 10 pm; the first-floor lobby of the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground (808 Comm Ave) will be open from 9 am to 5 pm (closed June 19); the lobby at the Center for Computing & Data Sciences (665 Comm Ave) will be open from 7 am to 10 pm (card access needed after 7 pm); and the basement lounge at 518 Park Drive will be open 24 hours a day (for South Campus residents only). In addition, two cooling centers have been established for high school summer program residents only: the first floor of the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering (610 Comm Ave) will be open from 6 to 10 pm, and three locations on the fourth floor of Warren Towers (700 Comm Ave) will be open 24 hours a day. Those locations are the Melville Lounge, the B Tower Quiet Study Room, and the MPR room. The cinema room at Rich Hall (277 Babcock St.) will be open 24 hours a day specifically for students attending this week’s Orientation session.

The University also has dozens of bottle-filling stations across the Charles River Campus for members of the BU community. 

“Heat-related illness is caused by prolonged exposure to heat and humidity without adequate fluid intake. There are several ways in which heat-related illnesses can present. Some people may experience nausea or vomiting, while others will experience severe headaches and muscle cramps. Heavy sweating, as well as lack of sweating, can both be causes for concern,” 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 heat-related illness during the current heat wave. Staying hydrated and cool are important prevention measures. Be cautious when performing activities outdoor that require physical exertion. 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 degrees), red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating), a rapid, strong pulse, a 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 lightheaded, 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 and 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.