Students new to area are advised to keep dehydration in mind during summer heat, as keeping hydrated can be ătricky.ä

Lycette LeCorgne, a nurse practitioner and coordinator of the Campus Health Acute Care Center, sees several cases of dehydration every semester, which out-of-state students are at the most risk for.

ăStaying hydrated is very tricky for out of state students,ä LeCorgne said. ăMost people are used to sweating, but it evaporates so quickly you need to drink before you get thirsty,ä she said.

Members of the UA campus community should have six to eight drinks per day and be aware that caffeine dehydrates.

She said that if a person is dehydrated he or she can experience eye irritation and headache, and women are more likely to get urinary-tract infections.

Someone that is properly hydrated should be urinating at least two to three times a day, and the urine should be clear or light yellow, LeCorgne said.

Warning signs for dehydration are slight nausea and headache, which requires the affected to ăget in out of the heat.ä If it is worse, and causes vomiting, assistance should be sought at a place like Campus Health, LeCorgne said.

The unique Soronan Desert weather conditions are also something those new to the area should be aware of, UA officials said.

Mullen advises members of the UA community to stock up on water and sunscreen and be aware of dangerous thunderstorms. It is very easy to get dehydrated or sunburned, or sun damaged. In thunderstorms also be cognizant of the danger of being struck by lightning, said Mullen, who is also director of the UA Institute of Atmospheric Physics.

Since the weather is a dry heat, Tucson is actually about as comfortable, or as uncomfortable, as the Midwest and east during the summer, despite triple digit temperatures, said Benjamin Herman professor of atmospheric sciences.

In addition to hot conditions, newcomers to Southern Arizona should also be aware of monsoon season rains.

Mullen advises everyone to watch the sky, listen to weather reports and ÷ if the difference between lightning and thunder is less than 20 seconds ÷ watch for lighting within five miles.

Drivers from out of state are recommended to be wary of water in washes.

Washes, or usually-dry riverbeds, can flood very quickly. The state of Arizona has a law named the ăStupid Motorist Law,ä which states that when a motorist drives into a flooded area, becomes trapped and must be rescued, the driver must pay for the expenses of the rescue.

ăIt can look safe one moment, but 30 seconds later it could be dangerous,ä Mullen said.

After monsoon season ends ÷ around the beginning of September ÷ the heat briefly rises again, but usually starts to cool near the end of September, Herman said.