Yahoo News Firefighters and council warning as North Staffordshire temperatures keep rising
Firefighters and council officials are warning against the dangers of swimming in water as temperatures continue to rise in the county. The messages come as the Met Office is forecasting this week could see highs of 26C in North Staffordshire.
Now both Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Staffordshire County Council have urged parents to have discussions with youngsters over the potentially fatal dangers of 'cooling off' in open water. Meanwhile a yellow heat-health alert remains in place across Staffordshire with the conditions potentially causing issues for vulnerable residents.
In its latest forecast for North Staffordshire and the Potteries, the Met Office reckons today will see highs of 25C before it gets up to 27C on Wednesday (June 26). Those highs will dip in the following days but still remain in the high teens.
During last year's hot spell, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service say there was a 'spate' of incidents of people going into dangerous open water. On one occasion crews had to rescue a man who had injured himself jumping into a Moorlands river.
Hotspots for issues have also included Knypersley Reservoir where youngsters have previously been spotted putting their lives at risk by leaping in the water.
Ian Read, who is prevent and protect lead for the fire service, wants parents and guardians to speak with children over the risks of trying to 'cool off' while outdoors.
He said: "It might seem a good way of quickly cooling off with your friends, but entering open water can be incredibly dangerous, especially if you don’t know how to keep yourself and others safe. Even on the hottest summer days, open water is usually much colder than you’d imagine and lakes aren’t always as deep as they appear. The water can be cold enough to send you into a state of shock, without mentioning the chances of serious injury if you hit the bottom too hard. Rivers and lakes are often full of sharp rocks and boulders too which can cause further injury and become a trip hazard."
Mr Read says anyone who falls into water should try not to panic.
He added: "In the event in which you fall into water, you should try to avoid the instinct to thrash around as much as possible. Your body is likely to react like this when experiencing a drastic change in temperature, but you should lean back, extend your legs and arms and use slow, gentle movements to stay afloat. Once you have controlled your breathing, attempt to swim to safety and call for help. A quick conversation between a parent or guardian with a young person could help so much more than people realise, which is why we’re urging people to make sure they are aware of the dangers and to help us keep people safe.”
Officials with the county council has urged people not to put their lives at risk. Catherine Mann, assistant director for culture, rural and safer communities at the local authority, said: “After a really wet few weeks, it’s nice to finally see some sunny and warm conditions. It’s great that people can get out and about in the sunshine at our country parks, but whenever the temperature rises, the temptation to cool off in open water is always there. We want to remind people of the dangers of doing this—you can cool yourself down in other ways that won’t risk your life.”
This week's highs aren't set to be replicated as we head into July, according to the BBC. The Been reckons next week will see highs of mainly around 17C with a chance of light rain across a number of days.
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