A stark warning has been issued to Brits following the deaths of nine people, many of them children, who got into difficulty in open water during a period of record-breaking temperatures.
The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) told the public to "stop and think" before entering the water. The charity added that "warmer weather unfortunately correlates to an increase in accidental drownings" and stressed that despite warmer air, "water temperatures remain very cold," posing a significant risk.
This urgent plea comes as England and Wales experienced their hottest May day on record, with Kew Gardens provisionally reaching 35.1C and Cardiff Bute Park hitting 32.9C on Tuesday, according to the Met Office.
Fatal incidents have been reported across the UK in recent days, including in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire.
Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, a 72-year-old woman died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, at around 3.15pm.
A 13-year-old boy, understood to be Reco Puttock, died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Monday, while the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire.
The same day, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to help two family members who were in difficulty, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
The body of a teenager was recovered from the water at Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, South Yorkshire Police said.
Another body has been found in the search for a teenage boy who went missing after he was last seen swimming at Hawley Lake on the Hampshire/Surrey border on Tuesday afternoon.
And on Tuesday evening, Lancashire Police said a body had been recovered from the River Ribble after a 12-year-old boy got into difficulty while swimming with friends at Ribchester.
On Wednesday, Cheshire Police said the body of a 17-year-old boy was found after he went missing in Pickmere Lake at Marston, Northwich.
Along with nine deaths in the UK, the Gardai in Ireland also said a teenage girl died in the sea at Burrow Beach, a popular swimming spot near Howth, on Sunday.
The RNLI have warned of the “very real risk” of swimming in open water during the heatwave.
Visits to NHS web pages have also surged during the heatwaves as people sought advice on how to stay safe in the hot weather.
NHS England said there were 20,092 visits to its heatstroke advice page on bank holiday Monday, compared to just 488 the previous Monday. Over the whole weekend, there were 36,724 hits.
Elsewhere, people looking for tips on how to deal with sunburn led to 5,342 visits to NHS webpages, with a total of 10,314 over the whole weekend.
Parents also sought advice on how to keep their babies safe, with visits to NHS web pages for baby first aid and sun safety tips surging by almost 3,500% on Monday, with 4,728 hits.
While many people enjoyed the sunny bank holiday weekend, older people and babies can be particularly vulnerable.
There is also a risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion, which is caused by the body losing too much water and salt, and can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening illness.
Temperatures are expected to cool slightly in parts of the UK in the coming days but health officials have confirmed that heat health alerts would be extended for 24 hours.
The UK Health Security Agency said amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands and the East of England will remain in place until 5pm on Thursday, with yellow heat-health alerts for the North West and North East.
The Met office have also issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of Wales, the South West of England and parts of the Midlands for 3pm to 11.59pm on Wednesday.
The warning stretches from Plymouth up to Holyhead and could bring torrential downpours of rain, frequent lightning, large hail and strong, gusty winds.
