Canberra: The Australian state of Victoria has urged residents to never leave children in cars alone and to stay safe from the heat this summer.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the state government announced its “Survive the Heat” and “Never Leave Kids in Cars” campaigns ahead of the first run of extreme heat, noting that there have been already 113 callouts to locked cars in November by its latest count, reports Xinhua news agency.
The campaigns provided parents with tips to survive the heat, such as staying hydrated, spending time in cool, air-conditioned buildings, planning ahead and keeping up to date with weather forecasts, and checking in on those most at risk in the heat like older people or young children.
According to the statement, last summer, Ambulance Victoria paramedics received 410 reports of people locked in cars across the state, while children aged below 13 made up 92.5 per cent of the cases.
A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult and the temperature inside a parked car can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than it is outside, the state government warned, adding that leaving the windows down has little effect on the inside temperature.
“All Victorians can stay safe this summer by following simple steps to beat the heat — drink plenty of water, stay somewhere cool, and plan ahead,” said the state’s Minister for Ambulance Services Gabrielle Williams.
“It’s simple: never leave your kids alone in a car — the consequences can be deadly,” the Minister added.
Earlier in the day, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said on social media that heatwave conditions continue in Victoria, with Melbourne, the state’s capital, expecting its hottest day.
“It will be an oppressive night across much of the state, with temperatures staying in the mid-high 20s,” said the weather bureau.
On Monday, the BOM also issued a heatwave warning for Victoria, indicating that maximum temperatures in the mid to high thirties are expected over the coming days, peaking in the low forties across the northwest of the state on Tuesday.
