Parents are being warned to use caution if they are planning to help children or pets cool down with a spray from the garden hose on the hottest day of the year. Firefighters in Las Vegas shared an image of a child badly scalded when a hose was turned on them on a hot summer day.
The hose had been left out in the sun, meaning the water inside had risen to high temperatures. The image was first shared in 2016.
It comes as temperatures in the UK are set to go above 40C for the first time ever. Objects left in the sun can rise to much higher temperatures - with road surfaces and airport runways already melting and cars and playground equipment registering over 70C.
The LV 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 and animals.
"Let the water flow a few minutes to cool before spraying on people or animals."
