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People have been warned of the dangers of swimming in open water after multiple deaths during the recent heatwave.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) issued a warning following the fatal incidents, most of which involved children, saying "warmer weather unfortunately sees an increase in accidental drownings".

It warned water temperatures remain very cold despite increased air temperatures, and that cold water shock could make swimming difficult and harder to get out of the water.

In all during the hotter weather, at least seven young people have died in the water, as well as a man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s.

• At Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln, Declan Sawyer, 15, was found dead after emergency crews were called to reports of him getting into difficulty at about 14:30 on Sunday

• Also on Sunday, a 72-year-old woman was pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach, Pembrokeshire in Wales

• On Bank Holiday Monday, a 13-year-old boy named locally as Reco Puttock was pronounced dead after being pulled from Leadbeater Dam in Halifax, West Yorkshire; the body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire; and the body of a teenage boy was recovered from a lake in Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire

• Also on Monday, a man in his 60s died after running into the sea to help two relatives who had got into difficulty at Tregirls Beach near Padstow, Cornwall, police said

• On Tuesday, police said they believed a body they found was that of a a 12-year-old boy who went missing while swimming in a river in Lancashire

• On Wednesday, Cheshire police found a body in Pickmere Lake during the search for a 17-year-old boy who went missing after swimming at the beauty spot

• On the same day, the body of a teenage boy who reportedly went missing after going swimming was recovered by police at Hawley Lake near Farnborough

Wednesday brings a reprieve from the record-breaking temperatures, as cooler air moves over northern and eastern areas of England.

A leading network for drowning prevention has recommended swimming in supervised locations with lifeguards where possible and entering the water slowly to reduce the risk of cold-water shock.

Cold-water shock is an involuntary pshysiological response when the body is suddenly immersed in water.

It causes blood vessels in the skin to close, which increases blood flow resistance, and as a result forces the heart to work harder and causes blood pressure to increase.

According to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), anything below 15C is defined as cold water, and average UK and Ireland sea temperatures are 12C, and some rivers can be colder even in summer.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning, Jim Bridge from Water Safety Partnership urged those who find themselves in difficulty in the water to "float to live".

"So lie on your back with you head back, with your ears submerged, use your arms and legs to stabilise yourself and just let your breathing come back to a normal breathing pattern.

"And when you're feeling confident that you've gotten used to the water and your breathing's normal, you can shout for help or swim to save yourself."

On Tuesday, the UK recorded the hottest day in May with temperatures reaching 35.1C at Kew Gardens in London.

For two days in a row, parts of south-east England went above 34C.

Nearly all weather stations across England and Wales also broke their local May temperature records on Monday and Tuesday.

The Met Office says a heatwave happens when an area reaches a certain high temperature for at least three days in a row.