A grieving mother whose son drowned has today warned sunseekers not to risk their lives in open water as Brits braced for a scorching heatwave.
Forecasters predict the mercury will top 38C this week – marking the hottest June day on record. A stifling amber extreme heat warning has been issued for most of southern England, the Midlands and east Wales. The UK Health Security Agency also issued separate heat health alerts across large swathes of England. The stifling heat could spark delays and disruption to travel networks and power supplies.
And today a grieving mother who lost her teacher son to a tragic river death begged others to be aware of the dangers during the hot weather. Joanne Howlett – whose son Lewis, 25, drowned at Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in 2020 – backed the Daily Mirror’s new safety awareness campaign.
View 4 ImagesLewis Howlett, 25, was swimming in open water with friends in the River Aire in Leeds in 2020 when he died(Image: MEN MEDIA)
And she warned others not to risk their lives by going into open water during the heatwave. Speaking just weeks after 13 children and six adults drowned over a seven-day period in May, Joanne, 61, from Norwich, Norfolk, said: “Losing Lewis will stay with me forever, it changes your life to lose someone like that.
“I want people to be aware. That swimming in any open water holds a huge risk and could cost you your life. However safe and calm the water looks there are hidden dangers beneath the surface.
“There were other swimmers that day but cold water shock can affect some people more than others particularly on a hot day. It happens so quickly and without warning.
View 4 ImagesThe Mirror’s ‘Save Lives for Sam’ water safety campaign is supported by the Royal Life Saving Society UK. Sam Haycock died in a drowning accident five years ago in Rotherham
“Open water swimming may seem like a good way to stay cool especially during a heatwave and has become a very trendy thing to do in recent years but it is extremely dangerous and puts a serious risk on your life. There needs to be more awareness, better education in schools and the local authorities need to ban swimming in unsafe areas. This needs to stop happening over and over again.
“Losing a child to drowning changes your life and I wouldn’t want this happening to any other family. My son was an amazing young man, helping charities and children in his community, doing so much good in the world and loving life with it all to be ended by a split decision. Everyday without him is a struggle, as a family we are totally heartbroken.”
Joanne, an accounts manager for a cleaning company, added: “I support the Mirror’s campaign wholeheartedly. I welcome that opportunity. It is such a worthwhile campaign and anything that will help save a life and for people not so have to suffer from the heartbreak as we do is applaudable. If some good can come out of something so sad, it can my family and others.”
View 4 ImagesThe Mirror is calling for improved water safety as part of our Save Lives for Sam campaign
The warning follows a glorious weekend where temperatures soared to 31.2C in Writtle, Essex, on Saturday as thousands flocked to the seaside. And yesterday [SUN] temperatures soared as drinkers packed beer gardens as the intense heat swept in – making the UK hotter than Ibiza.
June’s 35.6C high was recorded in Southampton in 1976 but the Met Office said there is “growing confidence” it would be beaten this week. Deputy chief forecaster Steven Keates said: “The warmth will expand and intensify at the start of this week, which – coupled with high temperatures overnight and high humidity – leads to potential impacts.”
The extreme heat warning was yesterday expanded with forecasters predicting the baking heat could last until at least Thursday, sparking weather warnings, health alerts and concerns for vulnerable people. The alert flags potential health impacts for people vulnerable to extreme heat and heat-related issues for the wider population, as well as a possible increase in water safety incidents.
Monday and Tuesday’s warning covers most of southern England, central and eastern Wales, and much of the Midlands, while Wednesday and Thursday’s alert also includes parts of Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Cheshire. People in the alert area are advised to drink plenty of fluids and to keep out of the sun, and avoid exercising between 11am and 3pm, the Met Office said.
Separate amber heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) which now cover most of England from Monday morning until Friday night. A UKHSA yellow heat alert is also in place for north-east England during the same period.
“I’m sure many of us will be wanting to get outside and enjoying some of this heat, but it certainly is worth taking care as we could see some impacts around,” Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said in an online forecast. “Water safety as well is going to be paramount if you are by the coast or other water bodies in land as well, and do follow the safety advice of relative authorities in order to avoid the cold water shock when you are heading into any water areas.”
Meanwhile, Europe is also sweltering under the heatwave, with temperatures forecast to hit 37C in Rome and 39C in Madrid on Monday. In France, highs of 40C are expected today, with Monday likely to be even hotter as emergency services and military forces have been put on wildfire alert.
Public alcohol consumption restrictions have also been put in place by French authorities and some outdoor sporting events cancelled. On Sunday morning, a crowd of more than 20,000 people flocked to Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire to see the sun rise at 4.25am on the longest day of the year, according to English Heritage.
Visitors, some wearing flower head-dresses, touched the ancient monument and cheered as the glowing sun peeked over the misty horizon. The rest of the day expected to be bright and dry for most except for potential showers in north-east England, Mr Vautrey said.
Tomorrow [MON] will be a “cloudier day overall”, with temperatures expected to reach up to 32C and humidity forecast to rise throughout the week. Mr Vautrey said: “It’s particularly across central southern regions, where we have an extreme heat warning, an amber extreme heat warning issued, where we could see quite widely amongst the population some heat-related impacts throughout the week. Temperatures climbing towards the mid-30s in places, that is quite exceptional for June.”
The heat comes after at least 15 people died after getting into trouble in open water during a hot spell in May. Samantha Hughes, national water safety partner at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said: “With warmer weather approaching, it’s important to remember that the water is still cold. Entering it unexpectedly can lead to cold water shock, causing a sudden increase in breathing and heart rate, which may trigger panic.”
After the heat health alerts were issued, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said employers must ensure their workers are protected while maintaining productivity during the heatwave. Today NHS England said visits to its webpage on hay fever advice have more than doubled in the past week following hotter weather.
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Duncan Burton, chief nursing officer for England, said: “People should be careful not to double-dose on medication which might make them drowsy, particularly if planning to drive.” The Met Office says heatwaves record are becoming more frequent and June more intense globally due to human-induced climate change.
The Mirror, backed by bereaved families, charities and Olympians, are pleading for an immediate public awareness campaign ahead of the summer, when it is feared more children could die. Our “Save Lives for Sam” campaign was launched to stop the “catastrophic” deaths of 33 children who drown in England every year – “the equivalent of a classroom of children lost”.
It was named in honour of Simon Haycock’s 16-year-old son, Sam, who drowned in Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham on his last day of school in 2021. Drowning in the UK has become an “epidemic” and a “national emergency,” campaigners say, as we all join forces today to urge the Government to take urgent action.