Park equipment reaches dangerous temps as summer heat arrives

BIG CORKSCREW ISLAND REGIONAL PARK, Fla. (WINK)—Playground equipment is reaching scorching temperatures as heat continues to grip Southwest Florida.

WINK News used a temperature gun to check surfaces around Big Corkscrew Island Regional Park on Friday. One kid helped with the temperature checks of his own.

"Yeah, I'm sweating," Teddy Williams said.

The temperature gun showed playground equipment reaching 119 degrees. Williams gasped when he saw the reading but said the heat doesn't keep him down.

"There's a really really hot slide all the way over here," Williams said.

These temperatures come with caution. Nationwide says plastic, metal or non-metal playgrounds can cause thermal burns on hot weekends.

"The blue slide over there was pretty toasty," Andrew Lynch said. "We went down the spiral slide, and you can feel the heat difference."

Lynch and his 2-year-old daughter Penelope were playing around 4 p.m. Friday. Nationwide says peak sun hours are usually from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As summer gets closer and temperatures go up, Lynch says they'll opt for earlier playing time in the future.

"We'll probably come in, like, the mornings when it's cooler," Lynch said. "You go out in the morning. You got at night, you don't go out there. In the day, it's too hot."

Williams offered advice for those going out in the sun this Mother's Day weekend.

"Oh, drink water, stay in chill, under some shade, something that's hot, not hot," Williams said.

Parents should make sure children aren't barefoot. Mulch and especially concrete can reach scorching temperatures as well.