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Students living on campus this summer are weathering this summer’s heat wave from their Harvard dorm rooms, many of which are not equipped with air conditioning.

Temperatures in the area hit more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit late last month — the hottest June day ever recorded in Boston — causing Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 to announce a three-day heat emergency in response. Since then, daily highs have continued to float into the 80s and 90s, and Boston is currently under a heat advisory until Thursday.

Amid the record-breaking temperatures, students voiced concerns about the lack of air conditioning, with some saying the heat has caused health issues and lack of sleep.

“I’m cooking — like, legitimately, I feel like a rotisserie chicken every night,” said Natalie F.L. Luera ’28, who is staying on the fourth floor in Claverly Hall this summer.

Harvard students can stay on campus throughout the summer for employment, summer classes, and more, generally in the upperclassmen Houses. Some of the more recently renovated dorms have hallway air conditioning, but almost no Harvard housing has air-conditioned rooms. The conditions kick off annual frustration among sweltering students.

“I think someone recorded that their room — they have some sort of sensor that can recognize the temperature in the room — and it was around 104,” said Daniel M. Ramirez ’27, who is staying in Mather House.

But students have also raised more serious concerns. Ramirez said he developed a cough that warranted a trip to Harvard University Health Services and a medicated inhaler, due to both the heat and the “lack of ventilation.”

“There’s no movement of air, so you kind of feel suffocated at night,” Ramirez said.

Students have tried to fight the heat by setting up several fans around their rooms, while others have tried to purchase air conditioning units — which are prohibited from dorm rooms for students without disability accommodations. Some students have also requested air conditioning units from the Disability Access Office, but have reported delayed responses from the office.

But students said these methods only go so far.

“I have like four fans in my room, and they’re always on. And still it’s not enough,” said Dandi T. Desta ’28.

While dorms generally lack AC, a few sections of overflow housing are air-conditioned.

“I also feel like maybe they should have moved us all into the AC-equipped houses,” Desta said.

Other students have resorted to spending most of the day in air-conditioned spaces like the Smith Campus Center, the Science Center, or common areas or dining halls for some upperclassmen houses.

But the high temperatures make it difficult for students to sleep when they return to their dorms at the end of the day. Some students have avoided sleeping in their rooms altogether — instead spending the night at PBHA or the Science Center.

“When I try to sleep, I can’t really sleep. It takes me like an hour or two, when it usually regularly takes me like 30 minutes,” said Hector Montellano-Bahena ’29. “I’m definitely not getting the adequate amount of sleep.”

“I went to my math class and I was almost falling asleep near the end,” he added. “So it is affecting my attention in class, which is important to learning.”

Ramirez said the lack of sleep due to the heat makes it difficult for him to focus on the work that he is on campus for.

“I do a program in the mornings from like nine to twelve, and then I go to lab from one to six. It’s a full day, so I think sleep is important,” Ramirez said.

“It was kind of hard this week with being concentrated and being able to be really efficient or productive,” he added.

The University did not respond to a request for comment.

—Staff writer Megan L. Blonigen can be reached at megan.blonigen@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @MeganBlonigen.

—2025 Crimson Summer Interns Elijah R. Bartholomew, Amelia J. Borawski, Ollie F. Ginnis, and Hazel J. Marcucella contributed reporting.