With another heatwave heading for the capital and the rest of the UK this weekend, now is a good time to make sure you don’t open your car to a nasty surprise.
Motorists have been warned to remove some specific items from their cars before the temperatures spike on Saturday, when the third heatwave of the summer is due to hit.
The inside of cars, with no air circulation and plenty of windows to let the sunshine in, can heat up fast – and that could affect some common items you might be keeping in your car.
That starts off with something basic you might overlook: bottled water. While keeping a bottle of water in the car is a staple for many, high temperatures can cause chemicals from the plastic bottle to seep into the water, making it less safe to drink.
Your best bet is to take a fresh bottle out with you if you need to drive – and that will mean it’s cool and more pleasurable to drink as well.
If you keep any medication in your car, like painkillers, it’s worth noting that paracetamol, Calpol and other pain relievers are only made to withstand temperatures of 25C and under.
That means their efficacy is affected when they get too hot, so it’s best to take them out now before the temperatures rise, according to Markus Lindblad from Haypp.
The same applies to sun cream, which can also spoil inside the bottle. It’s even been known to explode in extreme temperatures, and no one wants to be trying to clean sun cream out of the inside of the glove box during this heatwave.
Last but certainly not least, don’t leave any batteries in your car – and that includes battery packs, a vape with a rechargeable battery, or batteries within tools like torches.
Batteries can explode when they get too hot, which will leak battery acid or even ignite if the conditions are right.
Save yourself any stress or damage and remove any batteries from your car ahead of time.
Other tips for motorists include making sure your car has enough water or oil ahead of time, and top up your air conditioning, to make sure your car is safe and drivable throughout the hot days.
