Apple warns some MacBook laptops can heat up so much they are dangerous

In an urgent note to customers, the firm warned 'a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk'

Apple's new MacBook Air was unveiled at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on October 30, 2018 in New York City (Getty Images)

Some Apple laptops can overheat so much they are unsafe, the company has warned.

It asked all owners of affected computers to stop using the MacBook Pros and return them.

"Apple today announced a voluntary recall of a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk," the company said in an urgent note to customers.

"The units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and can be identified by their product serial number.

"The recall does not affect any other 15-inch MacBook Pro units or other Mac notebooks. Because customer safety is a top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using affected 15-inch MacBook Pro units."

It directed users to a special webpage that will allow them to check whether their computers are affected.

"If your MacBook Pro is eligible, please stop using it and follow the instructions below to have your battery replaced," the page states.

The battery replacement process is expected to take between one and two weeks.

The recall comes a year after a battery issue was found with some 13-inch versions of the MacBook Pro. Despite the recall, the problem only involved expanding batteries and was not seen as a safety concern.

No incidents of batteries exploding have been reported publicly as a result of the latest issue, though this has been a problem that has plagues its number one rival Samsung in recent years.

In 2017, a spate of battery fires hit models of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 range of devices, which had a significant economic impact on the South Korean tech giant.