UK sees hottest start to May, prompting warnings about open-water swimming after boy dies

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. saw its hottest start to May on record Thursday, prompting authorities to warn of the dangers of swimming in still-cold waters following the death of a 16-year-old boy in a lake.

The high was recorded at Kew Gardens in southwest London where the temperature hit 29.3 degrees Celsius (84.7 Fahrenheit). That beat the previous May 1 record high temperature of 27.4 C (81.3 F) in Moray in the northeast of Scotland in 1990.

The heat isn’t expected to last, with cooler weather starting to drift in from the north on Friday — bad timing for those looking to bask in the sunshine over the coming three-day weekend. Monday is a public holiday in the U.K.

Forecasters said that the hot spell, which followed one of the warmest and driest Aprils on record, has been a result of the jet stream — which is hugely influential in determining U.K. weather — remaining stuck north of the country, allowing high pressure to settle.

Authorities urged people to be cautious if choosing to go swimming as the water temperature in lakes and the sea remains cold given the time of the year.

The warning came as the body of a 16-year-old boy was found in a lake late Wednesday in Nottingham.

“While work is now underway to understand how the boy came into difficulty, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water, regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently,” Chief Inspector David Mather of Nottinghamshire Police said.

The London Fire Brigade also urged caution around open-water swimming after a 32% increase in water-related incidents last month compared with the same period last year.

“Even when the sun is shining, water temperatures can be dangerously cold,” said Craig Carter, its assistant commissioner for prevention and protection. “Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how fit or experienced they are.”