Many drivers routinely park on their driveways without giving it a second thought, but that may not be a good idea today.

08:16, Mon, Aug 3, 2026 Updated: 08:17, Mon, Aug 3, 2026

Suburban houses with cars parked on driveway, Pinner, London, UK

UK drivers are being urged to move their cars off uncovered driveways today (Image: Getty)

UK drivers are being urged to move their cars off uncovered driveways today as another spell of intense heat sends temperatures soaring across much of the country. Large parts of Britain are expected to see another scorching day, with temperatures forecast to exceed 30C in many areas.

Today's forecast says southern parts of the UK will be largely dry with sunny spells, making it feel very hot throughout the day. The hot weather is set to continue into tomorrow, with temperatures expected to reach mid and high 20s. That’s why motorists are being advised to think carefully about where they leave their vehicles during the day.

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Modern suburban family houses with car on driveway

Most driveways across the UK receive direct sunshine for much of the day (Image: Getty)

Many drivers routinely park on their driveways without giving it a second thought, but most driveways across the UK receive direct sunshine for much of the day.

This is especially common on newer housing estates, where front gardens have often been replaced by parking spaces.

Motoring experts at Select Car Leasing say drivers should move their vehicles into a shaded area whenever possible to stop them becoming dangerously hot inside.

They explained that parked cars act like greenhouses.

Sunlight passes through the windows and heats up seats, dashboards and steering wheels before the heat becomes trapped inside the cabin, causing temperatures to rise rapidly.

According to the experts, when the outside temperature is around 25C, the inside of a parked car can climb above 40C in just 30 minutes.

Woman driver being hot during heat wave in car, suffering from hot weather wipes sweat from forehead

The inside of a car gets extremely hot when the vehicle is left in direct sunlight (Image: Getty)

With temperatures expected to be significantly higher than that in some parts of the UK today, the inside of vehicles could become even hotter.

Parking in the shade helps reduce the amount of direct sunlight hitting the windows and bodywork, meaning the temperature inside the vehicle generally stays much closer to the air temperature outside.

That can make getting back into the car later in the day far more comfortable.

The advice is particularly important for owners of electric vehicles. The AA says lithium-ion batteries perform best when temperatures are between 20C and 25C.

The organisation said: "Extreme heat is best avoided in storage and in use. But in particular, it's better to keep the vehicle out of direct heat when parked.

“The battery's thermal management system will cause the batteries to be drained, as the system keeps the temperature down for optimum efficiency."

Experts also recommend using reflective windscreen shades to stop dashboards and interiors from heating up in direct sunshine.

Before setting off, motorists can open the passenger-side window while repeatedly opening and closing the driver's door to help force hot air out of the cabin.

When switching on the air conditioning, directing the first blast of cool air through the footwell vents can also help cool the vehicle more quickly.