The “heat” in vehicles is false… and global warming inside them threatens the lives of children

The National Center of Meteorology confirmed to Emirates Al-Youm that the readings that appear on car screens cannot be relied upon as an accurate indicator of the actual and meteorologically approved temperatures, indicating that these sensors are directly affected by external factors that lead to inflating the actual air reading.

In the same context, the center stressed the extreme danger of the phenomenon of global warming inside vehicles during the summer, warning against leaving children, the elderly, or pets inside closed cars, even for short periods of time. Emirates Today monitored the spread of video clips broadcast by pioneers of social media platforms in the summer, in which they show record temperature numbers that appear on the screens of their cars, which turns these inaccurate readings into an annual “trend” looking for interaction and views.

Content makers compete to document heat waves with striking visual methods to attract followers, and contribute to confirming the false idea that the car reading is the actual weather temperature.

The National Center of Meteorology explained, in response to the newspaper’s inquiries regarding the differences between official readings and car indicators, that official temperatures are measured according to approved international standards, through equipped weather stations, at a specific height above the surface of the earth, and in an appropriate measurement environment away from direct influences, such as sunlight reflected from asphalt, or heat emanating from vehicles and buildings.

He continued: “As for the temperature indicator in the car, it often measures the temperature through a sensor located at the front of the vehicle or near the road surface, so it may be greatly affected by the temperature of the asphalt, direct sunlight, and air movement around the car, as well as the vehicle being parked for long periods. As a result, readings may appear higher than the actual officially declared temperature, which makes it an inaccurate indicator of the meteorologically approved air temperature,” and with regard to the video clips that are sometimes circulated during the summer, which show very high readings through indicators. Cars: The Center stressed the importance of making the public aware that these readings do not necessarily represent the official temperature, but rather may be affected by direct local conditions surrounding the vehicle, especially when it is parked on roads or in open parking lots.

Regarding the phenomenon of global warming inside the vehicle in the summer, the National Center of Meteorology explained that a closed vehicle is exposed to a rapid rise in the internal temperature as a result of sunlight entering through the glass and heat retention inside the cabin, as the interior temperature of the car rises, and this phenomenon leads to a significant increase in the internal temperature within a short period even if the outside temperature is lower than that. The National Center of Meteorology warned that the danger lies in leaving children, the elderly, or animals inside the vehicle even for a short period, in addition to the danger of leaving flammable or explosive materials, such as Lighters, perfume bottles, CDs, chargers, and batteries; These materials may expand, explode, or catch fire as a result of the high heat trapped inside the vehicle.

Accordingly, the Center advised against relying on car indicators as an official source of temperatures, stressing at the same time the need for parked vehicles to be free of people and dangerous materials, with the importance of ventilating the car well before using it, and for drivers to be careful to park it in shaded places as much as possible.