‘Stay safe’ pleas issued in hot spell

It follows a spate of tragic incidents nationwide among them the death of a man in his 20s who went swimming in a quarry in Doncaster on Monday evening.

Vince Larvin, of Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “It may be very appealing to jump into the water to cool off on a warm summer’s day but people need to be aware of how dangerous this really is. The near-freezing temperature of deep water is cold enough to take your breath away, which is the body’s natural reaction and cannot be controlled, possibly leading to panic and drowning.”

The RSPCA yesterday revealed it had received hundreds of calls about pets falling victim to the weather

Its pet welfare expert Jane Tyson said: “We have already had calls about animals such as rabbits dying in their cages due to the heat and lack of access to water. While we hope the message is starting to get through to people that hot cars can be death traps for dogs, it is really important to remember that other animals may be suffering too.”

Public Health England yesterday issued advice about mosquito bite prevention including making sure garden containers with water are emptied or covered although it stressed there was no evidence there were more of the insects this summer.

Forecasters say the warm weather in Yorkshire will continue today although it will become cooler from tomorrow with a risk of showers.