Gruelling heat expected to give way to cooler temperatures and sporadic rain
The UK is set to welcome fresher conditions on Sunday as baking heat gives way to cooler temperatures and sporadic rain.
The Met Office said Saturday marked the end of the sweltering heatwave that has baked the nation for much of this week, with temperatures nearing 30C in south-east England.
On Sunday, scattered showers are expected across the UK, with temperatures closer to the average for this time of year.
Highs of 24C are expected in London on Sunday, with 19C in Birmingham, 17C in Aberdeen and 19C in Belfast.
Meanwhile, outbreaks of rain are expected to be most frequent and heaviest in northern and western areas, while the east and south-east remain mostly clear.
On Tuesday, England and Wales experienced their hottest May days on record as temperatures soared to 35.1C in Kew Gardens, west London, while 32.9C was measured at Cardiff’s Bute Park, the Met Office said.
At least 14 people died during the heatwave after getting into difficulties in bodies of water.
South Yorkshire Police said a search remained ongoing at the River Don in Mexborough on Sunday after the force had received reports than an 11-year-old boy had entered the water but had not been seen getting out on Saturday evening.
Officers were called to the scene at Ferry Boat Lane at 7.59pm on Saturday and emergency crews from the National Police Air Service, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services also responded, police said.
The boy’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Doncaster response team inspector Neil Pryce said: “We know, from witnesses and items left on the riverbank, where the boy entered the water.
“Utilising specialist knowledge and skills, a co-ordinated multi-agency operation is under way and we are doing everything we can to find this young man.
“We are invaluably assisted by an underwater search team, supported from above by the police helicopter and drones.
“This is a tragic incident and we understand that members of the public want to do all they can to help but we must ask that, for everyone’s safety, only those who are involved in our operation enter the River Don.
“To give the boy and his family the dignity they deserve, we ask that people do not spectate or film the search operation.”
On Saturday, Nottinghamshire Police said a 19-year-old man had died after entering the water at Balderton Lake, off Heron Way, in New Balderton.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Thursday where the man was recovered from the water and treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
The force said the family has been informed and were being supported by specialist officers.
There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances and a report will be prepared for the coroner, police said.
It comes after police said a 15-year-old girl died in hospital on Saturday after getting into difficulties in the sea off the coast of Merseyside on Bank Holiday Monday.
Chiedza Nyanjowa, from Cheshire, was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital after swimming at Formby beach, Merseyside Police said.
In a statement, the force said the family would like to express their gratitude to people who had helped the teenager, whom they described as a “bubbly person” who loved cooking and wanted to be a nurse so she could “give back”.
The hot weather has attracted many people to open-water swimming, resulting in a number of deaths in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire over recent days.
These include a 72-year-old woman who died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on Sunday and a 13-year-old boy, understood to be Reco Puttock, who died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Monday.
Thousands of people in Kent were without drinking water on Saturday after disruptions to South East Water’s supply during the hot weather.
On Sunday evening, the company said drinking water supplies had been restored for “most customers” across the county, including those in Whitstable and Herne Bay.
Some 4,058 customers may still be experiencing low pressure or intermittent supply in areas including Whistable, Coxheath and Loose, South East Water added.
The company apologised for the disruption and said it was working to resolve the issues.
Published: by Radio NewsHub