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Four-year high in Coastguard callouts as heatwave sees beaches packed

Thousands of people are seen soaking up the sun in Bournemouth as temperatures reached significant highs

Coastguard rescue teams were called out to 340 incidents across the UK on Saturday - the highest number in a single day for more than four years.

According to the search and rescue agency, it responded to 186 calls to emergency services for a "wide range of incidents".

They included people being cut off by the tide on beaches and children swept out to sea on inflatables.

In total, the service:

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and independent lifeboats were also called out on 155 occasions.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said call-outs for Coastguard Rescue Teams, Coastguard Aircraft and Lifeboats are all logged individually before the total number is calculated later on.

This is due to some rescue services (lifeboats, search and rescue helicopters) being sent to the same incident.

Beaches across the UK were packed as Saturday was declared the hottest August day for 17 years, as temperatures reached more than 34C (93F) in the South East.

Images from beaches showed how they became full with people soaking up the sunshine and warm weather, despite Britons being told to stay away due to coronavirus concerns.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council's beach check app showed 19 of its 24 beaches under red alert by the afternoon.

The red alert warned people to avoid the areas because safe social distancing was not possible.

The remaining beaches were under amber, meaning they were crowded and the public should "stay alert".

Coastal towns Margate and Brighton were also packed during the day.

Saturday's incident count represented a 145% increase compared to the average amount of call-outs the Coastguard recorded throughout August 2019, the agency said.

The count also surpassed the previous (and recent) busiest day of the past few years - Friday 31 July 2020, when 329 incidents were recorded.

HM Coastguard's deputy head of coastal operations, Richard Hackwell, said: "We're heading into a period of more good weather so we want to remind you to check and double check tide times.

"Even the most experienced swimmer or keen watersports enthusiast can get caught out by currents and tides. Plan your day out, always exercise caution and make sure you have a way of contacting us if you get into trouble."

He added: "Every time our frontline teams respond - as they always do and always will - please don't forget that they're also put at risk too. Take extra care at the coast today and over the coming days. We don't want you to remember your day out for all the wrong reasons."