Hot weather inevitably means more people heading to the Great British seaside so the RNLI is urging beach goers – particularly those planning to use the water – to put the safety of themselves and their families first.

Kelly Keating, RNLI Beach Safety Programmes Manager, said: "With heat waves being forecast it's likely beaches will be very busy. Our key advice for people is to choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags, where the lifeguards can see you.

"We want people to have fun at the beach, but to make sure they stay safe while they're enjoying themselves."

Despite the poor summer weather last year, RNLI lifeguards responded to more than 9,500 incidents and helped more than 11,000 people on some of the UK's busiest beaches.

Statistics suggest you are 500 times less likely to drown on a lifeguarded beach.

Kelly added: "Protecting yourself from the sun is also really important. We recommend people remember SLIP, SLAP, SLOP – slip on a T-Shirt, slap on a hat, slop on some suncream. Drinking plenty of fluid is also vital as the sun and wind can easily dehydrate you."

* Details visit www.rnli.org.uk/beachsafety.