JEDDAH: Saudi Civil Defense issued a warning on Wednesday about the danger of leaving potentially flammable items in a car during the extreme heat of summer.
In a message posted on Twitter, the authority shared an infographic that highlighted a number of items that people should remove from their vehicles for their own safety because intense heat can cause them to ignite or explode, including power banks, phone batteries, aerosols, cigarette lighters, gas canisters, and bottles of hand sanitizer.
One of the most dangerous items is hand sanitizer, which contains alcohol and, if left sitting on the dashboard in direct sunlight, could start a fire. It is also believed that there have been a number of cases of low-quality power banks exploding in hot cars around the Kingdom, causing damage and injuries.
According to the Saudi National Center for Meteorology, many places in the country experienced extremely hot conditions on Wednesday. Wadi Al-Dawaser and Al-Ahsa recorded the highest temperatures in the country, at between 47 C and 48 C. However the sky over Najran was cloudy and there was rain in southern and western parts of Saudi Arabia.
Searing heat has made this week an uncomfortable one for residents of Riyadh, with some reporting that their car tires had melted on baking hot roads. The maximum temperature forecast for Riyadh this week is 45 C, with the heatwave continuing until the weekend. Temperatures in the Makkah area are expected to reach about 38 C.
