BALTIMORE — Extreme heat in Maryland is expected to last through the weekend.
On Thursday alone, the heat index could reach up to 109 degrees.
While heat is known to cause all sorts of health risks to humans and pets alike, it can also affect your vehicle.
SEE ALSO: Beat the heat at cooling centers opening around the area
From Sunday, July 17 through Tuesday, July 19 AAA received nearly 5,400 calls throughout the state for tows and car battery and tire-related issues.
According to AAA, some of that can be attributed to the heat.
They say heat can kill batteries, especially those three-to-five years old which are most likely to succumb to extreme temperatures.
As for tires, driving on under-inflated ones can cause overheating increasing the likelihood of a blowout when temperatures are extremely high.
Low fluid levels can also cause issues such as overheating in this kind of weather.
Not to mention how fast a car can heat up in general, causing danger to anyone left inside them without air or the windows open.
Specifically children, the elderly, and pets are at severe risk.
“In the summer heat, a vehicle’s interior can reach lethal temperatures very quickly. In fact, a car can heat up by 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes and become deadly, causing a child’s internal organs to shut down if left unattended inside,” said Ragina Cooper Ali, spokeswoman for AAA in Maryland.
