Scorching temperatures in the U.S. saw staff at the National Weather Service bake biscuits in a car.
Forecasters at the federal agency in Omaha, Neb., took to Twitter Friday to document their baking exploits.
Agency staff put four uncooked biscuits on a baking tray and left them on the dashboard of a parked car.
“If you are wondering if it's going to be hot today, we are attempting to bake biscuits using only the sun and a car in our parking lot,” NWS Omaha tweeted.
“We will keep you posted with the progress. Stay cool!”
Over the next eight hours the service tweeted regular baking updates.
Forty-five minutes in, the biscuits were rising and after an hour the baking pan had reached 175 degrees Fahrenheit (79 C), while the tops of the biscuits were a toasty 153 (67 C).
The service used the baking challenge as a reminder that cars can become “deadly hot.”
After an hour in the shade the back seat temperature was up to 120 F (49 C).
“Look before you lock! On average 38 children die in hot cars each year. Don't be a statistic!,” NWS Omaha tweeted.
At the five hour mark, after turning the car to adjust for the angle of the sun, the NWS reported that the “top of the biscuits are baked but the bottom remains doughy.” At the same time, the back seat temperature in the shade had hit 144 (62 C).
Later, a “slightly golden tinge” was reported on the biscuits.
“And after nearly eight hours in the sun, the outside of the biscuit is actually edible,” NWS Omaha tweeted in its final update.
“The middle is still pretty doughy though. The max temp on the pan was 185 (85 C)!”
The NWS has warned of hot weather for a large swath of the U.S. this weekend, including dangerously high temperatures across the East and Midwest that can threaten seniors and young children.
Temperatures in the upper 30s degrees Celsius and high humidity are expected in many places Saturday and Sunday.
--- With files from The Associated Press
