We all know the pain of getting in a hot vehicle during the summer, but just how fast does the temperature climb and just how hot? Our meteorologist Nathan Kitchens decided to check it out.
Our news vehicle was parked in a sunny area around 11AM. The temperature outside was 86°. In the span of 13 minutes, the temperature jumped almost 30° from a pleasant 78° to 105°. The thermometer was left inside the car for another hour, and by that point, the temperature had risen well over 120°. In fact, our particular thermometer stops reading around 120°.
Unfortunately, we still see stories each and every year of pets and children dying in hot cars. From 1998 to 2021, a total of 21 children 14 years and younger died in Ohio from being left in a hot car. The states with the highest deaths in a hot vehicle are Florida, Texas, and California.
It's also advised to remember what items you store in your vehicle. Chances are, most of us store medication like ibuprofen. The label shows the medicine should be stored in room temperature settings of 68 to 77°. The extreme temperatures can cause the medicine to lose its potency and become less effective. You also want to avoid leaving items like bottled water, battery-powered electronics, and pressurized canisters like hairspray or sunscreen in a hot car.
We often prepare for destructive storms like tornadoes, but do we ever consider that hot weather kills substantially more than any other weather hazard in the U.S.? This is consistent with the numbers from 2021 along with the 10 and 30-year averages. The human body is much less tolerant of rises than drops in internal temperature. Heat stroke occurs when the body temperature reaches 104°. This is why you don't want to take the hot weather lightly. Do your part to stay hydrated and check on those all around you this summer.
