Drivers are being warned to remove three items from their cars before Saturday morning, when the heatwave weather will gradually rise to a peak of an eyewatering 32C. That’s because high summer temperatures can have a devastating effect on your safety behind the wheel, for reasons you almost certainly never expected.
This week temperatures could soar as high as 31C on Thursday, sticking at that level for days on end until Saturday sees temperatures climb even higher, to 32C, the Met Office has forecast. Then, conditions will drop back to ‘just’ 31C on Sunday before easing to 29C on Monday, and the heatwave will end on Tuesday, July 15, with slightly more manageable 25C conditions. Now drivers are being urged to remove three common items from cars before the heat really kicks up a gear.
First is bottled water. It’s easy to accidentally leave bottled water in the car after a long day, but as temperatures rise, chemicals from the plastic bottle can leach into the water, making it less safe to drink. In some extreme cases, they can magnify sunlight and could cause a fire inside a car. The best course of action is to take the bottle out of the car to keep the car safe and the water tasting normal.
Second is medicine. You may not realise, but most typical over-the-counter medicines like paracetamol, Calpol and other painkillers have a maximum temperature at which they stay safe. If you leave a packet of painkillers in a hot car, they may stop working as well or become ineffective completely.
In fact, most commercial painkillers and medicines are only rated to withstand temperatures up to 25C, which means you could even end up making yourself feel worse. During hot weather weeks like this, it’s strongly advised that people store some medicines in the fridge.
Sun cream, also known as sun block or sunscreen, or even sun tan lotion, is another issue when left in a hot car. It can go off inside the bottle and could even explode due to the pressure in the heat. It’s advised to treat it like out of date sun cream and replace it.
Finally, batteries. This could be a battery pack, a vape with a rechargeable battery, or simply packs of batteries for an emergency kit like a torch and radio, which many drivers keep in the boot. Batteries are unsafe to keep in very hot conditions, as they could explode and leak battery acid, or catch fire if used when red hot.
Make sure you have plenty of petrol (or diesel) because fuel runs out faster in a heatwave. You also need to ensure the car has enough water and oil, both of which are vital on hot days, and that your air conditioning gas is topped up. Other than that, take care and drive carefully in the sunshine, and keep an eye on your engine’s temperature gauge to avoid costly breakdowns in the sun.
