NWS reminder: “Beat the heat, check the backseat!”

With temperatures soaring into the 90s across the region Wednesday, the National Weather Service wants you to be aware of how rapidly a vehicle can become dangerously hot.

During a partly cloudy day with an outdoor temperature near 90 degrees last summer, forecasters from the National Weather Service office in New York, New York placed a thermometer in a vehicle with an interior temperature in the upper 80s.

Just 20 minutes later, the interior temperature was already at 107 degrees, according to the service. 

“The temperature inside a car on a warm day can reach dangerous levels within minutes. NEVER leave children or pets in an unattended vehicle,” the service urges. “Beat the heat, check the backseat!”

NOAA provides the following safety tips:

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle. Not even for a minute!
If you see a child unattended in a hot vehicle, call 911 immediately!
If a child is missing, always check the pool first, and then the car, including the trunk.
Be sure that all occupants leave the vehicle when unloading. Don’t overlook sleeping babies.
Always lock your car and ensure children do not have access to keys or remote entry devices.
Teach your children that vehicles are never to be used as a play area.
Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat. When the child is put in the seat, place the animal in the front with the driver.
Or, place your purse or briefcase in the back seat as a reminder that you have your child in the car.
Make “look before you leave” a routine whenever you get out of the car.
Ensure your child’s school and/or child care provider will call you if your child does not show up for school.