Texas has always been hot, but if you feel like this year’s been particularly bad, you’re right. This summer has been one of our hottest to boot. Some parts of Austin hit daily heats of 107 degrees in August. Even as we begin to creep into fall, daily temperatures stay in the high nineties. 

   This heat has definitely been felt at St. Stephen’s. Sports practices have been moved to the mornings, and the library and other air-conditioned spaces have been full of students. Car shade covers have popped up in the parking lots, and people stand up to leave the chapel faster than ever.

   With this intense heat, which isn’t predicted to get below eighty until late October, it’s critical to stay safe around Austin and around campus. It’s important to drink at least nine cups of water a day for women, and thirteen cups for men. Students should also know the signs of heat exhaustion; heavy sweating, throbbing headaches, nausea, and dizziness. If you feel these symptoms, make sure to come inside, sit down, and slowly drink water (going to fast may worsen nausea). If it gets any worse, be sure to go to the Health Center and get help from a nurse.

   Finally, make sure to stay aware of how this heat affects cars. If you’re waiting in your car to leave or to come into school, keep the engine and air conditioning on. Don’t let anyone else sit in your car, either, unless you know they’ll have it on. When it’s ninety degrees outside, the inside of a car can reach a hundred and nine in less than ten minutes. At this temperature, adults will quickly start to experience heat exhaustion. If they pass out in the car, they can quickly be killed by the heat. Don’t leave pets in the seats, and don’t eat any food left in a car until the weather cools down. 

   With these record-breaking highs in Austin, remember to be careful and to be smart about the heat.