WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — Each time there is an extreme heat event in the DC-area, safety officials issue many of the same warnings: don’t leave your kids or pets in the car, wear sunscreen, drink water, and watch out for hot surfaces.
WUSA9 pointed out three common places you should be aware of during heat advisories.
YOUR VEHICLE
The first stop is the car.
Around noon on Sunday, WUSA9 recorded a temperature of 127 degrees on the outside of an SUV using a thermometer gun.
We found it was even hotter inside of this car.
The temperature on the dashboard of the vehicle was almost 155 degrees.
After sitting in the vehicle with the windows up and without air conditioning for five minutes, the temperature read 165 degrees. That was 10 degrees more than the first reading.
THE PLAYGROUND
A group of men played on a basketball court in Northwest DC on Sunday despite the heat advisory.
A couple of them were surprised to know the court surface was 137 degrees when we checked it.
RELATED: Heat emergency declared
A splash park, which was just a few feet away, was not as hot.
However, adults took some caution to protect children from heat-related dangers.
“We had to put sunscreen on him, make sure he gets lots of water, and breaks from the sun,” one guardian said.
POPULAR PEDESTRIAN AREAS
Whether it is day or night, one of the most popular places to hang out in DC is on U Street.
People could be seen walking with sunglasses, water bottles, and umbrellas on Sunday.
RELATED: DC cooling centers
When WUSA9 tested the temperature on the highly-traveled sidewalks, the thermometer gun recorded 133 degrees.
Several people were aware of how to stay safe and spot some of the warning signs of heat-related emergencies.
If you need a spot to cool off this week, there are cooling centers all over DC.
