While a warm sunny day in summer is usually a reason to celebrate, you might feel a little less than grateful when you step into your vehicle. Solar radiation can rapidly heat up a vehicle's cabin, bringing the dashboard, seats, steering wheel, and overall temperature to scorching levels.

Extreme heat can also be harmful to the materials of a vehicle's interior. Cobblestone Auto Spa, an Arizona auto servicing business, says ultraviolet radiation can cause the deterioration of plastic, vinyl, and leather surfaces.

There are several ways a driver can avoid a hot vehicle interior during the summer. These range from ventilating the vehicle to buying a few accessories to help keep the heat down.

You can often utilize natural shade when parking your vehicle. By simply parking under a tree or in another space out of direct sunlight, you'll keep sunlight from entering the vehicle cabin.

Even if a parking space is sunny when you first arrive, it might be shaded before too long. Alison Lakin, writing for the automotive site DriverSide, says you can observe the shadows to assess how the sun is traveling across the sky. If you'll be at a destination for a long time, you can park in a space which is more likely to be shady in the near future.

Sun shades are a particularly effective way to block the sun's rays. A shade will reflect sunlight and prevent a greenhouse effect from occurring inside the vehicle.

Shades are typically designed to cover a windshield, and you can also buy a second one to go over the rear window. Depending on how your vehicle is parked and where the sun will be shining, you can also set up a shade over the side windows.

Similar protective shades are made for dashboards. Angie's List says these fabric or upholstered covers will keep the dashboard from getting too hot.

It can be helpful to use more temporary shading methods as well. Keep a few towels in the vehicle to cover the seats, steering wheel, and other spots in the vehicle. The classic car insurance company Leland West says the towels will become hot, but they can simply be tossed in the trunk or on the floor of the vehicle when you need to drive.

If the interior of the vehicle is particularly hot, you can mist the surfaces with water before setting out. The water will carry away some of the heat as it evaporates, helping to bring down the temperature inside the vehicle.

Keep your vehicle's windows cracked slightly when it is parked. Opening them too far will make the vehicle and any belongings stored inside more vulnerable to theft, but a small gap can help ventilate the interior. Cobblestone Auto Spa recommends cracking the windows about one inch.

Solar-powered fans can also be useful in keeping a vehicle more temperate while it is parked. Angie's List say these devices will circulate air in the vehicle and help expel hot air when the windows are cracked.

If you're willing to spend some money to keep your vehicle more comfortable in the summer, consider getting the windows tinted by a professional. This process will help minimize the amount of ultraviolet radiation entering the vehicle, keeping it from heating up too much.

Make sure any window tint abides by state laws. In Connecticut, tint must have an allowable light transmittance of no less than 35 percent. The vehicle must also be inspected by the Department of Motor Vehicles to ensure that the tint is in compliance with state law.