CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Employees in Kingsville who work outdoors are being told to take water breaks and seek shade.
The City of Kingsville put its workers on a heat alert as the South Texas town reached triple digit feel-like temperatures and it's not even officially summer.
The feel-like temperature on Thursday was 114 degrees.
Kingsville is known for its extremely hot weather because the city is far enough from the coast to get hot, but also close enough to get the humidity.
A waterline issue at the corner of Kleberg and 11th Street ended up shutting down the courthouse, which meant a long, hot day in the sun for the city's water department crew.
"People from out of the area that apply here, it's a shock," Public Works Director William Donnell said.
A canopy was brought out to provide extra shade for the workers.
Donnell showed 3NEWS the extent of the extreme conditions they'll endure. Using a heat instrument, he took a reading of the ground which read 140 degrees!
"We do ask them to hydrate the night before, non alcoholic hydration prepare for the heat of the next day," he said.
Out of 300 city employees in Kingsville, half work outside.
Donnell said the workers are provided water and are asked to take frequent breaks.
One city street crew over on West Kenedy is doing what they can to beat the heat. One employee was seen filling up his water jug, another was wearing a large cap to keep the sun off his face.
In fact, city officials have made heat safety a priority across all departments.
At animal control, fans are working nonstop as officers answers calls that will take them back outdoors.
"At the same time we got to do our jobs, throughout the day, encourage them to get into the truck, stay hydrated," Health Department Director Emilio Garcia said.
He said in addition, all employees were given cooling towels they can wet and put around their necks.
"Nobody wants to go through heat exhaustion or get a heat stroke, it could really be severe for our employees if they don't take care, watch themselves and pace themselves when they are out there in the field," Garcia said.
The Kingsville tourism department is also accommodating employees who are working outside on updating their butterfly garden.
"We did have them come in early, adjusted schedules to come in earlier in the day to take advantage of the cooler temperatures of the day," Kingsville Director of Tourism Janine Reyes said.
As the workers learn how to adjust to the summer-like heat there doesn't seem to be relief in sight any time soon.