Make sure to take the necessary precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones during hot weather.

It was heartbreaking to read a story this week about the 22-month-old girl who died near Wichita after being left in a car all day in temperatures that reached over 100 degrees.

The story is a bit bizarre. A woman apparently drove the toddler and her 4-year-old brother to the home of their uncle who regularly provides day care for them. She then parked the car and left. The boy went inside, and told his uncle his baby sister was “sleeping.” The uncle said it wasn’t unusual for the boy to come alone and he thought he meant the 22-month-old was sleeping at home. So the girl was left in the car from about 9:30 a.m. to about 5:30 p.m., when her mother returned to pick her up. The toddler was pronounced dead at a Wichita hospital.

It is, of course, hard to believe the callous disregard of the adults in this story. But this horrible story provides a vivid reminder of the danger hot weather poses to pets, young children and older adults. A relatively short time in an overheated car can have disastrous effects.

It’s summer, it’s Kansas and, recently, it’s been hotter than the blazes. Be sure to take care of yourself and those that are dear to you.