Drivers should remove five vital items from their vehicle with hot weather set to hit the country within days. Temperatures are set to soar from the middle of next week with the Met Office predicting 24C in London on Tuesday.
However, Wednesday is set to be the hottest with conditions soaring to 27C in the capital. Motorists heading out to enjoy the sun may not be aware that many everyday items regularly stored in vehicles could become a danger. This is because extreme heat inside the cabin can often change the properties of the items, leading to major safety risks.
Firstly, road users should not keep aerosol cans inside their car due to the risk of a possible explosion.
Although this sounds dramatic, the pressure inside the can is likely to rise in hot conditions putting the items at serious risk.
If the pressure exceeds the can’s capacity, it could tear and even explode in a possible safety risk to drivers and passengers.
Similarly, canned carbonated drinks such as lemonade or cola are also at risk in a blow to those carrying picnics.
The carbon dioxide gas trapped inside the can is at risk of expanding as the temperature rises.
This will increase the pressure on the side of the container, which may then explode.
Another item every driver is likely to carry on long journeys is their mobile phone.
Exposing technology to extreme heat can affect the battery and processing chips inside devices.
Other electronic devices such as PCs, DVD players and cameras may also be at risk if they are not stored in a shady area.
Similarly, vapes may also be a serious risk when temperatures rise on warm days such as next week.
Electronic cigarettes contain batteries that could be at risk of expanding and leaking in extreme temperatures.
These vapes can even explode in searing heat while they are at risk of simply catching fire.
Finally, one of the most important items that should be ditched from a car is any medication.
Certain medicines such as antibiotics should be stored correctly in a fridge and not left in a hot car.
Meanwhile, everyday medicines such as Calpol and Nurofen state that the medicines should not sit in temperatures any hotter than 25 Celsius.
