Five children drowned during heatwave - as hottest ever May day recorded in the UK

Five youngsters have drowned in open water during this week's record-breaking May heatwave.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) warned of the "very real risk" of swimming in open water during the heatwave.

It comes after Britain saw five days of unseasonably hot weather for spring, with Tuesday seeing the hottest ever May day recorded in the UK, breaking the record for a second day in a row.

As it happened: Hottest ever May day

It also comes after the UK record for the highest May minimum temperature was broken for the third night in a row on Tuesday - with Camborne only fell to 21.4C overnight, making for another tropical night.

Temperatures cooled overnight, with highs of 29C forecast for Wednesday, before a brief return to 30C weather on Thursday and Friday, and a milder weekend to come.

According to Lancashire Constabulary, a 12-year-old boy died on Tuesday after he got into trouble while swimming with friends in a river - the fifth such incident over the heatwave.

The force received a report shortly after 2pm that the boy entered the River Ribble at Ribchester.

"A large-scale search involving officers from Lancashire Police's underwater search unit and colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service was launched, with colleagues from North-West Ambulance Service providing support," a spokesperson said.

A body, which police believe to be the boy's, was recovered from the river at about 7.50pm.

The force said his death is not being treated as suspicious.

Bodies found in Yorkshire and Lincoln

In the early hours of Tuesday, the body of a teenager was recovered from the water at Rother Valley Country Park near Sheffield after he went missing, South Yorkshire Police said.

A specialist search operation was launched following reports at 6.50pm on Monday that the boy entered the water, but had not been seen getting out.

On Sunday, a body was discovered in the search for a boy who got into trouble in a lake in Lincoln.

Emergency services were called to Swanholme Lakes at 2.30pm on Sunday after reports that 15-year-old Declan Sawyer got into the water and was missing.

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On Monday afternoon, a 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said the teenager was pulled from the water and taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

That same afternoon, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to help two family members who had gotten into difficulty, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The two family members were brought to safety by members of the public.

And on Monday evening, the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire.

In County Dublin, Ireland, another teenager died while swimming in the sea over the weekend, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Cold water 'a very real risk'

The RNLI said on Tuesday that while temperatures reached record highs for May over the bank holiday weekend, water temperatures remained low, which could lead to cold water shock, a reaction that causes the blood vessels in the skin to close and increases heart rate.

The charity said in a statement: "While the air temperature is warm, the seas are still cold and cold water shock remains a very real risk.

"With many school children enjoying half term, the lifesaving charity is urging everyone to stay safe."

Amber heat-health alerts in effect

In a post on X, the Met Office said: "Today is now the hottest day in May on record for both England and Wales with Kew Gardens provisionally reaching 35.1C and Cardiff Bute Park reaching 32.9C."

The weather service said Heathrow had also provisionally recorded 35C.

Heat health alerts remain in effect until 5pm on Thursday, with amber warnings in effect in the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, and South West.

Amber alerts mean "significant impacts" are likely across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including an increase in deaths of vulnerable people.

The North East, North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber are on a yellow alert, which means significant impacts are possible from the weather.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in East Anglia between 10pm on Tuesday and 2am on Wednesday.

The high temperatures over the Bank Holiday also saw a grass fire break out near Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh on Monday

(c) Sky News 2026: Five children drowned during heatwave - as hottest ever May day recorded in the UK