The state government is drawing attention to its Never Leave Kids in Cars campaign, as temperatures are once again expected to pass 40 degrees in the Wimmera later this week.
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The government says paramedics responded to seven calls to people locked in vehicles across the region in the 12 months to September 2018 – three in the Horsham Rural City Council area, another three in Ararat and one in the Northern Grampians shire.
Statewide, there were 1587 callouts during this timeframe, with most of those found locked inside vehicles being children under 13 years old.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the temperature inside a car could double in just minutes in extreme conditions and a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, meaning there is no safe amount of time to leave children unattended.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast 43 degrees for Horsham, Warracknabeal, Nhill and Edenhope on Thursday, and above 40 degrees in each of these locations again on Friday.