UK water-related death toll rises to 10 amid record May temperatures

A teenage boy who died while swimming in a pond in Kent became the 10th person to die in water-related incidents across the UK during a period of record-breaking May temperatures, police said on Thursday.

Kent Police said officers were called on Wednesday afternoon to reports of concern for a swimmer in a pond near Galley Hill Road in Swanscombe, where the boy's body was later recovered. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

The latest fatality follows a series of incidents involving children and teenagers in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters across England and Wales in recent days.

Among the victims was 12-year-old Junior Slater, who died while swimming in Lancashire's River Ribble, and 15-year-old Declan Sawyer, whose body was recovered from Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution warned that open water remains dangerously cold despite the hot weather.

Some areas of London saw 35C (95F) heat on Tuesday, breaking a record set on Monday for the hottest May day.

Kew Gardens in southwestern London recorded a provisional temperature of 35.1C (95.18F), beating Monday's 34.8C (94.64F) record-high in the same place.

Last week, the UK Health Security Agency issued amber and yellow heat-health alerts across England, the first time this year, ahead of record-breaking temperatures.