Tuesday was the first official day of summer, but LSU students have been facing record-breaking temperatures all month.
“The heat is oppressive,” biology senior Ian Watson said.
“You walk outside, and it immediately hits you in the face and just kind of presses down on you. You can’t go anywhere without sweating.”
The first five days of June tied or broke daily record temperature levels for Baton Rouge, while daytime highs have been within four degrees of record temperatures nearly all month long.
The hottest day thus far this summer was June 2, when temperatures rose to a high of 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature — which broke the record for June 2 — ranked among the six hottest days in Baton Rouge history.
According to Pat Shingleton, chief weather forecaster at WBRZ News 2 Louisiana, the 13-inch rain deficit the city has experienced since January is only making temperatures hotter.
“It is not unusual to be in this pattern in June,” he said. “The [Bermuda High pressure zone] increases moisture in the field and pops off showers to cool our region. However, we have not had those showers yet this year, making for high temperatures.”
Shingleton hopes recent rainfall will help bring temperatures down over the next few days.
He also joked that the rain was caused by his famous rain dance under the waning moon.
This summer has seen five national heat-related deaths, one in Wisconsin, two in Maryland and two in Tennessee, all involving people 60 years or older.
Louisiana had six heat-related deaths in the summer of 2010.
East Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Medical Services confirmed there have not been any heat-related deaths this summer, but the office has responded to reports of heat exhaustion, according to spokesman Mike Chustz.
Meanwhile, students are doing whatever they can to stay cool.
Christopher Smith, biology junior, said this summer is hotter than any other he has experienced.
“It’s ridiculously hot. It’s like walking into an oven,” he said. “I stay inside as much as possible.”
Smith has changed his workout regime to deal with the heat.
“I workout in the UREC. … Because it’s so hot, I stopped running outside and now run upstairs at the gym.”
Advertising junior Olivia Olinde works at a local outdoor pool. She anticipates a brutal summer and has been taking precautions.
“I’m a lot more cautious about the amount of water I drink because I work outside, and I don’t want to get dehydrated,” she said. “I literally count the times I refill my water bottle because if I don’t I feel so sick.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released helpful tips to deal with extreme heat.
The CDC advises drinking plenty of fluids to replenish salt and minerals lost from sweat. Loose and lightly colored clothing, hats and sunscreen of at least SPF 15 should be worn when going outside. Those unaccustomed to a hotter environment should acclimate themselves to the heat gradually, according to the CDC website.
Heat stroke is characterized by body temperature reaching over 105 degrees, red skin, disorientation, delirium or coma. A person can go from feeling fine to being seriously ill within minutes. The CDC advises calling emergency medical care in these cases.
Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat stroke that may develop over the course of several days if temperatures are high. A victim may become dehydrated, vomit or faint. Those suffering from heat exhaustion should drink plenty of liquids and rest in a cool shaded area, according to the CDC.
The LSU Vet School also announced a warning to pet owners.
Owners should exercise caution when bringing pets outside during high temperatures. A dog’s body temperature is normally between 101°F and 102°F.
Dogs do not sweat — if heat is not expelled efficiently, body temperature rises. A rise of three degrees in a dog to a temperature of 105°F is life threatening, and when a dog’s temperature hits 108°F the result is often fatal.
 
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Contact Laura Furr at [email protected]