AUSTIN, Texas -- Two deaths have already been reported this year due to vehicular heat stroke. Sadly, both were children and one was right here in Texas. 

As the summer heat builds, now is the time for an important reminder: never ever leave kids or pets unattended in a car this time of year, not even for just a second.

In the above video, Johnny Humphreys with the Texas Heatstroke Task Force tells our Chief Meteorologist Burton Fitzsimmons that the inside of a car might be 30 to 60 degrees hotter than the outdoors, literally turning a vehicle into an oven.

As many as seven children died last year in hot cars in Texas, while the national death toll was 52 in 2019.

Humphreys recommends that you leave something important in the back seat to remind you to look before you leave, so as to never forget and leave a child behind.

The Task Force also suggests keeping your car doors and trunk locked at all times, and make sure keys are out of sight.

And if you ever see a kid or pet trapped in a hot car, call 911 and immediately take steps to get them out.