September has been off to an unusual start in Southern California, with USC Trojans heading to class in humidity, muggy rain, and extreme heat.
For students who chose a college in sunny Los Angeles, the recent weather has felt like a cruel joke.
“It’s genuinely horrible,” said Charlie Railsback, a junior communications major. “Getting to classes is such a pain. My hair is so frizzy, and it is so hot and steamy outside from the rain.”
Daniel Swain, a UC Berkeley climate scientist, described this rain as an “exceptional level of humid heat” for Southern California. Writing on X, Swain added that the conditions “... will likely bring some of the most miserably humid air on record to SoCal.”
The unusual humidity is due to Hurricane Marie off Southern California’s coast, meteorologist Kristan Lund told the L.A. Times.
The humid conditions have been enough to make USC students spend less time outside.
“It’s just a little more humid, so it makes me not inclined to go out as much,” said Milkyas Tewolde, a sophomore human biology major.
Senior neuroscience major Adam Ahmad says the effects of this weather affected his daily routine.
“It’s a little gloomy in the mind,” Ahmad said. “I woke up, and it was already, like, 11, 12 p.m., and I thought it was earlier because of the weather. So I got a late start to my day, which pushed everything back.”
While the unusual weather may disrupt students’ routines, USC Chief Campus Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman suggested adjusting routines during extreme heat.
“When it is this hot, we do need to modify our physical activity some,” Van Orman said. During her weekly health briefing, she warned that being young doesn’t always save an individual from heat-related illnesses.
According to the CDC, heat-related illnesses can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures, and rashes these illnesses can be fatal.
The heat and humidity can also have a significant effect on the city’s air quality. The CDC has shown that poor air quality can also have significant health impacts.
According to the Los Angeles Times, “The first five months of 2026 in Southern California have been the smoggiest, with the highest number of unhealthful air days, in more than a decade,” adding that this is “due to early heat waves.”
Still, some Trojans welcomed the rain.
Junior psychology major and Indianapolis native Aidan Brown said that the weather from this past weekend is more comparable to what he experiences back home.
“I’m used to the rain,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me too much.”
Brown said he even attended a concert Sunday night, despite the rain. He wasn’t the only one who found familiar comfort in the weather.
Timothy Wong, a sophomore business administration major, said the sudden changes in the weather reminded him of his hometown.
“Back in Hong Kong, it also has really crazy weather where one day it would be sunny, and it’s suddenly just raining,” Wong said. “The past few days, it kind of feels like that.”
An extreme heat warning is now in effect for Southern California through Thursday evening with temperatures expecting to reach between 92 and 108 degrees. Humid conditions will add to the heat discomfort.
Edited by Ally Nakamura, Andriana Yatsyshyn, Lindsay Augustine.