Heart-pounding footage shows the moment a forgotten baby was rescued from a burning car in Texas earlier this week – as meteorologists warn the heatwave that has ravaged southwestern states all summer will soon spread eastward.
A crowd can be seen in the video surrounding a vehicle as people work to break the windshield and save a baby who was left inside on a day when the heat index exceeded 100 degrees.
A passerby filmed the breathtaking rescue in the parking lot of a gas station in Harlingen, a town in the far south of Texas.
Footage shows that after the windscreen broke they were able to gain access to the vehicle, where a woman lifted the child to someone outside the car.
It was not immediately clear how long the baby had been left inside the car, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it only takes 10 minutes for a car to heat up 20 degrees.
The terrifying ordeal comes as a heat wave continues to move through the southwestern regions of the country.
“This potential heat wave stems from the heat that is in the southwest and parts of the west for much of this month of July,” meteorologist Cody Braud told The Post. “This large area of high pressure will finally start to expand eastward throughout this week.”
As the high pressure system moves eastward, scorching temperatures in the upper 90s will hit central and eastern states, including New York.
Some 250 million Americans will experience sweltering conditions as the upper air pattern shifts, forcing dangerous heat and humidity onto the East Coast, Fox Forecast Center meteorologists predict.
At least two-thirds of the country will experience temperatures above 90 degrees this week, including areas that don’t typically experience such high temperatures, such as the high plains of Montana, the Dakotas and even Minnesota, where heat is expected to hit the region on Wednesday.
As Thursday approaches, areas of the East Coast are expected to reach their peak temperatures, including New York City, which could hit the upper 90s on Friday.
While there will likely be record heat recorded in cities scattered across the states, records won’t be broken at all levels.
“Most people will experience a real summer feeling, with above-average heat at least over the weekend,” Braud said, adding that while temperatures may rise, it’s not currently a major cause for concern.