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The Sun

What happens to your child's body in a car in hot weather – symptoms can start in minutes even on cloudy days

TEMPERATURES are set to soar to over 33C again this weekend, in what is expected to be the UK's third summer heatwave in 2025. The hot weather is set to peak on Saturday, the day after a hosepipe ban is put in place in Yorkshire, with temperatures falling slightly again on Tuesday. And while you may be tempted to leave your child in the car whilst nipping to the shops to pick up ice lollies or picnic supplies, this can be potentially life threatening. Effects start in minutes According to experts, it can take less than half an hour for children to feel the effects of being left in the car in the heat, with sweating and thirst starting after 45 minutes, even on cloudy days. Experiments have revealed that even on cool summer days, temperatures inside cars can reach 52°C, which is almost as hot as the highest temperature ever recorded, which was 56°C in Death Valley California. The inside of a car can reach 20°C higher than the temperature outside, as the car's windows trap heat inside. Vehicles can quickly turn in to ovens, with children left inside at risk of severe health issues. Spending time in high temperatures causes your body's thermoregulatory efficiency to decrease, whilst your body temperature starts to rise. Your body then absorbs more heat than it dissipates, leading to a state of hyperthermia. When body temperatures exceed 40°C (normal body temperature is 37°C) heat illness occurs, which may cause heat stroke, dizziness, confusion and seizures. Every year in the UK, an average of 38 children die after being left in the car. Most of these children are under two years old. When Is It Too Hot to Walk Your Dog? Vet's Essential Advice Risk of death Omni's Hot Car Calculator gives a minute by minute break down of what happens when a child is left in the car. The calculator shows that on a sunny 25°C day with clear skies, children will be at risk of death within 70 mins. If there are scattered clouds in the sky, children could be in a life-threatening condition after 75 minutes. Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical director of says: "You may think leaving your child in the car for just a few minutes is fine unless we're having one of the few really sunny days we get in the UK. The signs of heat exhaustion - and when it becomes heatstroke HEAT exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical help if you can cool down within 30 minutes. The signs include: Tiredness Dizziness Headache Feeling sick or being sick Excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash, but a change in skin colour can be harder to see on brown and black skin Cramps in the arms, legs and stomach Fast breathing or heartbeat A high temperature Being very thirsty Weakness Diarrhoea HEATSTROKE is a medical emergency, so get inside and call 999 for an ambulance. Stay with the person, who may not be able to help themselves. Try to remove clothes if possible and lie the person down. Use a cool flannel and sponge them down and use a fan to try and help them lose heat by evaporation. If they are conscious and able, try to encourage them to drink. If they lose consciousness, put them into the recovery position while you wait for an ambulance. The NHS says to call 999 for signs of heatstroke that include: Still being unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids A very high temperature Hot skin that's not sweating and might look red (this can be harder to see on brown and black skin) A fast heartbeat Fast breathing or shortness of breath Confusion and lack of coordination A seizure or fit Loss of consciousness "But apart from the security aspect, there are real risks to your child's health from spending just a few minutes in a car with the windows up. "The smaller your child, the less good they are at regulating their body temperature. That means they're at real risk of dangerous heat exhaustion or heat stroke. "Their body fluid is carefully regulated, and depends on the right balance of fluid and salts. But babies and small children lose fluid very quickly from sweating and increased breathing rate, leaving them at serious risk of dehydration. "Once their body reaches a critical temperature, the normal body mechanisms don't work any more. Their temperature can skyrocket, leaving them at risk of organ damage and even death. "The inside of the car is like a greenhouse, and we all know they're designed to keep plants much warmer than being in the open air. There's no breeze, and even on a cloudy day sun on the windows and roof with rapidly leave the inside of the car like a sauna. "So no matter how short and no matter how cloudy, just don't do it." Minute-by-minute 22C with scattered clouds in a dark car (the car may reach 56.4C). 40 mins: hyperthermia sweating thirst very uncomfortable 60 mins: severe sweating flushed increased heart rate children with epilepsy may start convulsing 90 mins (life-threatening): fainting dehydration weakness vomiting breathlessness 165 mins (medical emergency): severe headache dizziness confusion hallucinations delirium medical emergency 26C with a clear sky in a dark car (the car may reach 66.5C). 30 mins: hyperthermia sweating thirst very uncomfortable 45 mins: severe sweating flushed increased heart rate children with epilepsy may start convulsing 70 mins (life-threatening): fainting dehydration weakness vomiting breathlessness 110 mins (medical emergency): severe headache dizziness confusion hallucinations delirium medical emergency The hotter is gets, the quicker these symptoms come on, with dark-coloured cars also speeding up the process. And it doesn't even have to be that hot for dangers to kick in, with a child's heart rate rising and severe sweating starting after 85 minutes if it is just 18C outside.