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One of the biggest weather related risks during the summer months is the possibility of a child dying in a vehicle from heat stroke. The temperature inside a vehicle can rise 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes, and 50 degrees in an hour. This can cause hyperthermia (heat stroke) in literally a matter of minutes, particularly in children, whose body temperatures warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s.
In 2015, there were 24 deaths nationwide from heat stroke suffered while in a vehicle (31 deaths in 2014). Since 1998, 671 children had died from heatstroke - half of these were children that were forgotten by a parent or other caregiver, and nearly 20 percent died when parents knowingly left their child in a vehicle. The rest died when they were playing in an unattended vehicle. Between 1998 and 2015, 5 occurred in Iowa, 5 in Minnesota, and 8 in Wisconsin.
All of these tragic deaths are preventable. To help bring awareness to this issue, the NWS is using the slogan “Beat the Heat...Check the Backseat” to remind people to be sure they remember small children who may be in a car seat, and to never leave children unattended in a vehicle, even for a few moments.
Some basic safety recommendations:
Remember that pets should also never be left in a vehicle during the summer months.
Much of the information on this page is based on research by Jan Null, Certified Consulting Meteorologist. You can find his research and information at: https://ggweather.com/heat/index.htm
Page courtesy of WFO Jackson, MS
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