It’s July, the height of the summer. While we’ve enjoyed a respite from the heat for a day or two, forecasts indicate this month will be another hot one.

Many crops thrive in hot weather, and for that, farmers love it too. But, for people trying to keep their homes and bodies cool, hot weather can be trying. And for children and pets left in vehicles, it can be deadly. 

Every summer we hear about children dying in America because they were left in a hot car. 

Often, when a child is left in a vehicle, it is because a parent, grandparent or caregiver forgets the child is in the back seat. Perhaps dad isn’t the one who normally drops the toddler off at preschool. Maybe a babysitter or young mother doesn’t realize the danger of leaving a child in a car, even for a few minutes. 

But, the fact is, the interior of a closed car heats up very quickly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, cars parked in direct sunlight can reach internal temperatures up to 131 degrees F - 172 degrees F when outside temperatures are 80 degrees F – 100 degrees F.

When the outside temperature is 83 degrees F, even with the window rolled down 2 inches, the temperature inside the car can reach 109 degrees F in only 15 minutes. Within the first 10 minutes the temperature in an enclosed vehicle will rise an average of 19 degrees, or 82 percent of its eventual one hour rise.

For children or pets, those temperatures are dangerous and can end in tragedy. 

To prevent children being forgotten and left in a car, young Andrew Pelham of Tennessee invented a simple device, the E-Z Baby Saver, which can help remind drivers to check the back seat before leaving a vehicle. Made of rubber bands and duct tape, it forms a stretchy barricade to prevent drivers from exiting the car without checking the back seat. For information on how to make one, visit www.ezbabysaver.com.

Dogs also should never be left in hot cars. Dogs cool themselves by panting, and they can’t do that if the air around them is hot — and that can be fatal. 

Hot summer temperatures also can be dangerous for people working or recreating outside, or for seniors living in hot apartments or homes. 

The following are some suggestions to help you keep cool during hot summer months.

Keep your body cool:

• Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. If you’re working or recreating outside, make sure to take along enough water.

• Wear light-colored clothing. Light colors reflect the sun better, while dark colors absorb them. 

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat or a bandana to protect your head from the heat.

• Wearing a moist scarf or a cooling wrap on your neck can help cool your whole body. 

• If you are overheated, drink water and pour it over your head and clothing to cool down faster.

• Playing in the water is a fun way to cool down in the heat. Go swimming; run through sprinklers; have a water fight. 

Keep your home cool:

• When possible, open windows in the evening and early morning to let cool air in; keep them closed during the day to keep the hot air out.

• In the evening, put a fan in a window facing outward to blow hot air out of the house. Open another window across the house to let cool air in to replace the hot air.

• Use a ceiling fan or portable fan to move the air in the room you occupy most during the day, making the air around you feel cooler. 

• If you have windows (especially west-facing windows) that heat up a room or your whole house when the sun shines through them, you can cover them with aluminum foil, shiny side toward outdoors. Obviously, that won’t be a good solution if you rely on those windows for light or a view, and it isn’t a great home decor fashion statement, but it will help lower the temperature in the room and/or your house.

We wish you a safe, enjoyable summer. Try not to sweat it — just keep your cool!