Apple is recalling over a million laptop batteries because of risk of overheating, explosions and fire. Recent Mac laptops have had problems with overheating and there have been reports of Mac laptops exploding into flames.

The affected batteries were sold worldwide from October 2003 through August 2006 for use with 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptop computers.

Apple is voluntarily recalling the affected batteries and has initiated a worldwide exchange program to provide eligible customers with a new replacement battery, free of charge. This program is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other international safety authorities.

Apple has set up a page on its site to deal with questions about the recall.

A list of affected serial numbers is available at the site. According to Apple, replacement batteries will take 4 to 6 weeks to be delivered. Shipping time may vary due to availability of your battery model.