London will be basking in 30C heat this week but did you know that shielding your baby from the sun could be putting them in danger?

We see stories time and time again about people leaving babies in hot cars and thinking it is ok because they are out of the sun, but this in fact is one of the worst things you could do.

Lots of mums think that putting a blanket or towel over their baby's pram or car seat is beneficial in the hot weather, but it can however raise the temperature by 10C.

If you are likely to do this, you could be risking your child getting sunstroke from this increase in intense heat and humidity.

No matter how thin the material is covering your baby from direct sun, this can create a ‘furnace-like’ effect.

A Facebook group called Pram&Ted, Antenatal and Postnatal services said: "Around this time of year, when the sun starts to shine, you'll see car seats, prams and buggies with blankets over the hoods to protect babies. This is a very dangerous practice...research shows that the temperature under the hood rises by 10 degs in under 30 minutes.

"So on a hot day when it's say 24 degs outside in the sun, cover up baby like the picture and in 30 minutes it will be 34 degrees with no fresh air....it is like cooking your baby and very dangerous. This practise raises the risk of Sudden Infant Death. Please invest in a parasol, put the hood down so fresh air cools the baby and enjoy the sunshine safely.....please share this to keep babies safe."

BabyCentre says that heat stroke is a life-threatening condition. Babies can't control their body temperatures as much as adults and so leaving them in hot cars can be deadly.

Heat stroke can occur within minutes in a car, where the temperature quickly climbs much higher than the outside temperature.

How can you keep babies cool in the summer?

Babies less than six months old should be kept out of direct sunlight. Their skin contains too little melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin protection from the sun.

Apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to your baby's skin.

Make sure the product also protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

Make sure your child wears a sunhat with a wide brim or a long flap at the back to protect their head and neck from the sun.

If you're breastfeeding your baby, you don't need to give them water as well as breast milk. But they may want to breastfeed more than usual.

If you're bottle feeding, as well as their usual milk feeds, you can give your baby cooled boiled water throughout the day.

Playing in a paddling pool is a good way of keeping babies and children cool. Keep the pool in the shade during very hot weather and supervise the children carefully at all times.

Run them a cool bath before bedtime.

Keep your child's bedroom cool during the day by closing blinds or curtains. You can also use a fan to circulate the air in the room.

Keep nightwear and bedclothes to a minimum. If your baby kicks or pushes off the covers during the night, consider putting them in just a nappy with a single well-secured sheet that won't work loose and cover their face or get entangled during the night.

A nursery thermometer will help you monitor the temperature of your baby's room. Your baby will sleep most comfortably when their room is between 16C (61F) and 20C (68F).

For more information see the NHS website