Water safety notice issued for June bank holiday
With Mediterranean-style weather and soaring temperatures set to continue for at least a week, the Irish Coast Guard, the RNLI, and Irish Water Safety united to urge anyone engaged in recreational activities in and around water to exercise caution.
Eugene Clonan, the Coast Guard’s chief of operations, says they got 23 calls about maritime recreational incidents on Sunday alone.
The RNLI’s Gareth Morrison said they also notice an increase in callouts when the weather improves.
“Many of these incidents relate to leisure activities where a nice day out has unfortunately ended in a call for help,” said Mr Morrison.
Roger Sweeney, deputy CEO of Irish Water Safety, said that, on average, 11 people drown in Ireland every month.
“Constant responsible child supervision will help prevent further tragedies,” he said.
The agencies warned the temperature of the sea, lakes, canals, and inland waterways is still pretty cold and water users should exercise caution and be aware of cold water shock and hypothermia. You can get advice on safetyonthewater.ie.
Meanwhile, forecasters are predicting the good weather will continue for at least a week, with temperatures set to soar to 23C in places — higher than in parts of Portugal and Italy.
Despite a small risk of showers in the southwest, the sunshine is expected to continue right through the bank holiday weekend, with temperatures set to rise even higher next week.
The Irish Cancer Society has urged people to wear sunscreen and reapply it every two hours; to stay in the shade when possible; to wear sunglasses; and to wear a hat.
