Not air con or sunshade - 'best' way to cool car down fast in heatwave explained

Not air con or sunshade - 'best' way to cool car down fast in heatwave explainedThat heavy, hot air inside the car can be unbearable during a heatwave, but science has a quick way to flush it out without air conditioning Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Andrew Nuttall 11:21, Wed, May 27, 2026 Updated: 11:31, Wed, May 27, 2026 Hannah Fry shared the method on her social media (Image: Getty)With the UK boiling in temperatures above 30°C, one place that tends to become much hotter is inside vehicles. Cars can get dangerously hot in the sun - but a scientific expert has shared a way to almost instantly flush out the hot air trapped inside cars. window.scriptsToLoad.push({url:'https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=118222&vp_content=plembed3a6btjknzwqh&cbuster=%%CACHEBUSTER%%&playerApiId=v118222',triggeredBy:'tcfLoaded',delay:1500,containerId:'ovp-primis',title:"Primis player",beforeLoad:()=>{window.top.addEventListener('primisPlayerInit',e=>{try{if(e.detail&&e.detail.playerApiId==="v118222"){if(window.document.getElementsByClassName('jwplayer')[0]){e.detail.float('disable')}}}catch(e){}})},}) Due to the 'greenhouse effect', sunlight is absorbed by the dashboard, seats, and carpet through your car windows. These interior surfaces then radiate this absorbed energy as trapped longwave heat, effectively turning the cabin into an oven. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy PolicyMathematician and broadcaster Hannah Fry went viral online last summer with a scientific tip for cooling cars without air conditioning. However, she claimed that Brits may...