People have been warned that leaving hand sanitiser in their cars during the approaching heatwave could be a fire hazard.
With the Met Office confirming that temperatures are set to rise to a sweltering 30 degrees today, drivers have been cautioned not to leave anti-bacterial hand gel in their cars.
NHS property services has received a number of reports of hand sanitisers creating fires in vehicles after being left in hot weather, reports the Liverpool Echo.
According to experts at CE Safety, a health and safety organisation, has echoed the warning, the alcohol in hand gels can overheat in temperatures higher than 25 degrees outside, which can become as hot as 50 degrees within a vehicle.
This can lead to flammable vapours being released, which reach a 'flashpoint', leading to a fire erupting on flammable materials with the car.
A spokesperson from CE Safety said: “Our advice is to remove alcohol-based hand sanitisers when the British public leave their cars.
“If it is 25°C outside, the estimated vehicle interior air temperature can reach up to 50°C if left for a couple of hours.
"So, it is no surprise to see pictures circulating on social media showing severely damaged vehicles due to hand sanitiser bottles that had ignited inside a vehicle sitting in direct sunlight.”
On Monday, Glasgow Live reported that temperatures in the city would hit 26 degrees today. However, it has now been confirmed that they could now rise as high as 30 degrees in the Strathclyde region.
The forecast reads: "A mostly dry and sunny day. Becoming hot or very hot, and again there is the chance of one or two isolated thundery showers in the afternoon. Gentle southeast breeze. Maximum temperature 30°C."
