AUSTIN, Minn. (KTTC)- Temperatures in the 90s had many in Austin questioning whether going outside was a good idea. The city urged many to conserve power as the heat index increases, so how are people beating the heat?
It is a sunny day in June and there's no school. So,why does it seem like Austin turned into a ghost town?
Because being in the sun may have felt unbearable.
Heat indexes approaching 100 kept kids from the swing set, nobody sliding down the slide, and if you were outside, you were under a roof or under the shade of a tree.
"Well right now, yeah, I'm in the shade," says 16-year-old William Bjorndal of Austin. "I try to stay in the shade, there isn't much of it, though."
Many flocked to the city pool once it opened. The line was long, but the wait may have been worth it.
"We came to go swimming because the wind really helps with the, when you're wet it really makes you a lot cooler," says Lisa Peter as her son Joseph enjoys the pool. "We're at a day camp this week and we were very jealous of the people who went yesterday because we had to walk to the SPAM Museum and it was hot!"
The city has recommended that people conserve power, but for people like Lisa, that is easier said than done.
"We just turned our air conditioning yesterday and my kids were very thankful. They were like 'Please! Please!' We didn't get it turned on until we got home from work last night so it took awhile for the house to cool down."
As temps remain constant, the pool is trying to help out where they can as the Austin Parks and Recreation department announced the pool would stay open until 8:30 PM for anyone wanting to keep on swimming.
All in an effort to stay cool as the temps go even higher.
The Parks and Recreation Department does keep an eye on the heat index all summer and will open up the pool beyond normal hours if things get a little too hot just like Tuesday. So, there is one sure way to beat the heat.
