WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It’s the first official weekend of summer, and in South Florida it was filled with near-record breaking heat.
Banko Cantina located in downtown West Palm Beach typically banks on large crowds on its rooftop. However, this weekend it was a different experience.
“I see the reaction right away and they are like, ‘Oh my gosh. It’s really hot,’ and they go right to the second floor,” said Kory Burns, an employee at Banko Cantina.
Burns said “Sunday Funday” is typically packed, tables are often all reserved, and it’s hard to walk through the crowds on the roof. Yet, this weekend customers are opting for the air conditioned second floor dance club.
Not too far away in Juno Beach, beachgoers also struggled to find relief.
“Running down to the beach, I was pouring in sweat. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was really hot,” said beachgoer Gabriel Velastegui.
On Sunday, a lot of people were opting for the covered picnic tables across the street, rather than sitting in the hot sand.
“We see the heat index was 102, and we are feeling every bit of it,” said beachgoer Lee Davidson.
However, this is Florida and native Floridians say they are used to it.
“We definitely are trying to keep everyone hydrated. We have the water. We have all that, but we are at a club downtown, so the alcohol is flowing, the music is playing so we are just going to keep it going,” said Burns.
Health experts recommend if you do plan to spend time outside to limit your caffeine intake prior to hanging out in the sun and to drink plenty of water.