Beach safety advice for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

An amber heat health alert has come into force across the UK

People planning to visit Dorset over the weekend are being urged to follow some new safety advice.

The warning issued by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council comes as residents are expected to flock to the beach as temperatures are forecast to hit 30C.

The council is asking everyone to follow the RNLI's beach safety advice if entering the water.

The announcement follows the death of two children on 31 May.

Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from Buckinghamshire, both died in hospital after getting into difficulties in the water off Bournemouth beach.

An investigation into the cause of the deaths is still ongoing.

An amber heat-health alert is set to be in place until 09:00 BST on Monday and BCP Council is asking people to follow some advice such as choosing a lifeguarded beach, swimming between the red and yellow flags, and checking the weather and tide times before entering the water.

"If you get into trouble in the water, Float to Live: tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing. Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then call for help or swim to safety if you can," the authority said in a statement, urging people to call 999 and ask for the coastguard should they see anyone in trouble in the water.

Visitors have also been reminded not to have barbecues near heathlands or clifftops and that electric barbecues are free to use on the seafront, while disposable barbecues are only permitted on the beach from 18:00 BST to 22:30.

However, barbecues are not permitted on Lake Pier beach or Hamworthy Park beach in Poole.

Firefighters have warned people to be careful not to cause wildfires this summer, after being called out to a record number last year.