Warning As Child Left Seriously Injured From Hose That Had Been Sat In Sun

Firefighters in Las Vegas have shared an image of a child suffering from serious burns from water heated up inside a hose pipe.

This week, the Met Office issued its first ever red heat warning, with temperatures set to reach 40C in certain parts of the England.

With temperatures reaching such highs, it's important to take extra care and remain vigilant.

Twitter/Las Vegas Fire Rescue

Although it's rare to see such temperatures in the UK, in Nevada, hitting over 40C is not uncommon. Posting a warning about high temperatures in Vegas, the fire department tweeted: "Here in Las Vegas, a garden hose exposed to direct sunlight during summer can heat the water inside the hose (not flowing) to 54C-60C degrees which can cause burns especially to children & animals.

"Let the water flow a few minutes to cool before spraying on people or animals."

Alongside the warning was a photo of a baby, suffering from extreme burns to its body. Although the photo was taken in 2016, it remains relevant during such extreme heatwaves.

Alamy

This week is the first time a red heat warning has been issued and it carries a health risk to everyone in the UK, not just those who are typically more vulnerable to heat or those with existing medical conditions.

Extremely high temperatures could lead to 'population-wide adverse health effects' and a 'high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment'. This could potentially mean power cuts, and a loss of other vital services such as water could be on the horizon.

The Met Office warned that a heatwave of this magnitude will require 'substantial changes in working practices and daily routines' to avoid exposing people to health risks.

Large areas across England will experience 'exceptional heat' with temperatures in the high 30s and forecasts are warning it could get as hot as 40C in some places.

A temperature that high would surpass the existing record for the hottest day on record in the UK, as 38.7C was recorded in Cambridge on 25 July 2019.

Alamy

On Monday (18 July), the UK reached a high of 38.1C, with forecasters expecting this will be exceeded on Tuesday (19 July).

The high temperature was recorded in Santon Downham in Suffolk. Meanwhile, the temperatures are forecast to remain high overnight, with figures in the mid-20C region.

From Wednesday (20 July) temperatures are expected to drop significantly for most parts of the UK.

Topics: Health, Life, Weather

Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot.

@lucedevine