Dubai: Photos of weather readings in cars have shocked UAE residents as temperatures have allegedly shot above 50°C.
The massive interest surrounding the summer heat has left social networking sites inundated with photos of temperature readings in vehicles, especially those that showed an exaggerated level of heat.
In the last week alone, social media users in the UAE and across the Gulf posted photos online of how their vehicles reached anywhere between 50°C and 53°C.
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) told Gulf News that the index and measurement of the temperature in vehicles do not correspond to actual temperatures in the country as issued by the weather bureau.
“The temperature readings lack accuracy and are affected by a number of external factors,” said the NCM.
The met office explained that there is a set standard on how to record temperatures, as recommended by the World Meteorological Organization.
“To measure the temperature in any country, the measuring device should be placed in open air, in the shade, and stand at a height of 175 to 225 centimetres,” said an official at the NCM, who pointed out that the device should not be exposed to direct sun or even indirect sunlight.
As for the temperature index in vehicles, the NCM official noted that it is an inaccurate representation of the actual outside temperature as there are a number of factors that can skew results, such as the colour of the seats that can absorb the heat, as well as the length of time it is parked under the sun.
The sweltering heat in the vehicle is akin to the greenhouse effect as the air inside heats up, the car is closed and has no place for the air to escape. Radiation from the sun is also absorbed through the car’s glass, which can be slightly reduced when motorists have tinted windows or use a screen while it is parked.
“The temperature is inaccurately high at the beginning, because the heat you feel when you first get inside the car is not the same like when you’ve been driving it for one kilometre,” he added.
