Latest news with #wildswimming
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Alarming 1000% rise in bug-ridden FAECES detected in some of UK's swimming hotspots - is your favourite pool contaminated?
It's the trendy health kick making a splash in the UK. But some of the UK's most popular wild swimming spots have seen a shocking 1000 per cent rise in potentially life-threatening bacteria, concerning data has revealed. The Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park, London recorded a 1,188 per cent rise in levels of the diarrhoea-causing bug in just a year. The pathogen, which typically also causes a fever, can be spread through contaminated water—with faeces a major source of such contamination. The same open water swimming spot also saw a 1,085 per cent increase in intestinal enterococci in the same year—another types of bacteria found in human faeces. Experts, who warned the pathogens pose 'one of the biggest threats to human health', urged the authorities to test for such viruses more vigorously. The Bathing Mobility Advisory Service (BMAS), who analysed the Environment Agency figures, said there was still much work to do to tackle pollution. The agency tests for harmful bacteria during the official swimming season—May and September. These tests monitor for sources of pollution known to be a risk to bathers' health, specifically E. coli and intestinal enterococci, before each bathing site is given a ranking of excellent, good, sufficient or poor. According to the BMAS analysis, the Serpentine Lido—rated sufficient by the Environment Agency—logged an count of 580 in 2024, up on the 45 in 2023. North London's Hampstead Heath mixed pond, meanwhile, recorded an count of 310 in 2024, a 230 per cent increase on the 100 in 2023. The men's pond followed with a rise of 24.65 per cent over the same time period. By contrast, the ladies pond saw a drop of 34 per cent, from 350 to 230. In the majority of cases symptoms fade naturally within days. However, for vulnerable populations, the infection can get into the blood and travel to the organs, causing catastrophic damage. A handful of Brits die from complications of an infection every year. Large amounts of rain water can cause an increase in the presence of bacteria such as E. Coli because of the UK's water laws. But it can be spread by touching infected animals or their faeces directly, as well as coming into direct contact with infected people's waste. BMAS analysis also found intestinal enterococci levels at The Serpentine Lido rose 1,085 per cent between 2023 and 2024, up 27 to 320. Hampstead Heath ladies pond, meanwhile, recorded a 25 per cent rise over the same time period from 8 to 230. The men's and mixed ponds, however, logged drops of 33 and 75 per cent respectively. Professor Davey Jones, a soil and environmental scientist at Bangor University, urged health authorities to implement more rigorous monitoring of pathogens in water including viruses, which are currently not routinely tested for. 'They're one of the biggest threats to human health,' he said. 'Some pathogens, like 0157, can enter groundwater through agricultural runoff and pose serious health risks, even in small amounts. 'As recreational water use increases, especially in urban settings like London, it's vital we broaden our testing frameworks to include viral contaminants.' Amelia Hornsby from the BMAS, added: 'Water quality is a key indicator of environmental health and public safety. 'Consistently high standards are essential not only for protecting ecosystems, but also for ensuring safe and enjoyable access to our natural waters for local communities and visitors alike.' It comes as fresh figures released last November found dozens of locations along coasts, lakes and rivers in England failed to meet the minimum water quality standard for 2024, meaning they contained disturbingly high levels of faecal matter. It marked a two-fold rise on the number rated 'poor' in just a year and is the highest figure recorded since the current rating system was introduced in 2015. Open water swimming has surged in popularity in recent years. Proponents of the sport claim it helps boost the immune system, speeds up weight loss, improves your mental health and even increases your sex drive. Research has suggested managed cold water exposure can trigger the release of fat-busting hormones, which can help to protect against obesity and heart disease. In 2022, a review of 104 studies looked at the effects of cold water blood circulation, the immune system, inflammation and oxidative stress. Taking a dip in water with temperatures below 20C (68F) was found to activate brown adipose tissue, a type of body fat which burns calories to maintain body temperature. It also increased production of adiponectin, a protein which plays a key role in protecting against insulin resistance, diabetes and other diseases. As well as this, some experts have also said the shock of cold that comes from outdoor swimming can boost levels of dopamine and the release of endorphins — feel-good hormones — in the brain. Some GPs in England actively prescribe cold water swimming on this basis. But no studies have shown that cold water immersion alone boosts mental health.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- BBC News
Droitwich Spa Lido summer season starts as pool marks 90th year
A restored art deco lido built in 1935 has opened for its summer season as it marks it 90th pool was closed for a deep clean and heating before its reopening on Saturday for the official start of the summer Spa Lido manager Seb Parker said the pool took saltwater from a well in the spa town and had water features including mushrooms, canons and pineapple said brine pumped into the pool directly from the well was "100% stronger" than sea water, adding: "We put enough in the pool, not so it's going to make you float, but you'll taste it when you're in there." The water gets heated during the summer and is currently up to 20C (68F), but in the winter, when people visit for cold swimming, it can go down to 3C (37F)."We're open all year round. We're actually really popular in the winter – wild swimming and cold water swimming is a big thing now," he said in good weather visiting the lido was "just like going to the seaside", adding: "You don't realise you're in the middle of a park, in the middle of a town."Its history over nine decades has included a grand opening by a film star, closures during World War Two - and then the pool shut in 1999 before restoration was planned, he the buildings in the restored pool are the same as they were before, he District Council and the Friends of Droitwich Spa Lido group have put a book together, containing memories of the pool, with pictures and stories gathered from over the years."Everyone can remember growing up here," he said. "It was a thing you did in the summer, like 'what shall we do today?', 'oh, we'll go to the lido'."You'd just come down with your mates, leave your bikes outside, go swimming, pop out for some chips and then come back in again for the afternoon." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The hidden health danger of London's outdoor swimming spots
E. coli levels at London 's Hyde Park Serpentine Lido surged by 1,188.8 per cent between 2023 and 2024, raising concerns about the safety of wild swimming. Hampstead Heath Mixed Ponds also saw a 230 per cent increase in during the same period, which can cause life-threatening infections and severe food poisoning. Despite the increase, the Serpentine Lido received a 'sufficient' rating from the Environment Agency, meeting minimum standards for bathing water. Experts advocate for more comprehensive water testing, including viruses, to ensure public safety. The increased popularity of wild swimming since the pandemic has highlighted concerns about water quality and the need for stricter monitoring.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Wild swimmers rejoice! Sea temperatures around the UK and Ireland soar to 4°C above usual - following an 'extreme' marine heatwave
Wild swimmers have flocked to the seaside as waters around the UK and Ireland are gripped by an 'extreme' marine heatwave. With temperatures soaring up to 4°C (7.2°F) above usual, British sea temperatures are currently what would be expected for mid-June. Thanks to an exceptionally warm spring and calm winds, sea temperatures in April and the first half of May were the highest since records began 45 years ago. Waters have been particularly warm off the west coast of Ireland in a few pockets of Devon and Cornwall. The entirety of the west coast of the UK is now roughly 2.5°C (4.5°F) warmer than the average for the time of year while water near Scotland is between 2-3°C (3.6-5.4°F) warmer. A marine heatwave is defined as any period where the sea temperatures exceed the seasonal threshold - 11.3°C for May - for more than five days. At one point off the Yorkshire coast, near Tyne and Tees, temperatures hit 4.6°C (8.28°F) hotter than average, according to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. However, while wild swimmers will definitely enjoy the warmer waters, temperatures are lower than the season peak in late summer and might still feel quite chilly. The warmest temperatures have been felt off the west coast of Ireland and isolated patched around Cornwall and Devon Scientists from the Met Office found that the waters around the UK have been coming in and out of a mild heatwave since 2024, but temperatures surged during March as the heatwave spread. By May 19, temperatures hit an average of 12.69°C (54.84°F) which is well above the heatwave threshold of 11.3°C (52.34°F) for May. Typically, a marine heatwave only lasts around two weeks. However, the UK's waters have now been experiencing a heatwave since early March, making it one of the longest heatwaves on record for this time of the year. Dr Ségolène Berthou, a Met Office climate scientist, wrote in a blog post: 'The heatwave is the result of several overlapping factors. 'Prolonged high-pressure systems brought a dry, sunny spring and weak winds and waves, creating ideal conditions for warming.' This meant that UK waters started getting warmer in February, a month earlier than in a typical year. Dr Berthou also points out the sea temperature spike has been particularly sharp due to a layer of warm water forming over the surface. She says: 'It can be compared to a layer of olive oil floating on water, this thin surface layer allows heat from solar radiation to accumulate near the surface. 'When this layer forms, surface temperatures can increase fast: the last 9 days have seen a sudden additional 1°C warming.' It isn't yet clear what kind of effects this will have on marine wildlife, but the impact on fish populations is being closely monitored. A spokesperson for the National Oceanographic Centre told MailOnline: 'The important thing to note is that as the current marine heatwave is occurring before the height of summer, it is unlikely to reach temperatures that would cause major harm or mortality to marine species.' However, it might disrupt the breeding season of certain species and could lead to a bloom in jellyfish which thrive in warmer waters and change the distribution of some species. In 2023, after a marine heatwave pushed temperatures 3°C (5.4°F) above average jellyfish sightings rose by 32 per cent. Professor Tim Smyth, from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, told MailOnline: 'During the current marine heatwave, we are seeing the distribution of where phytoplankton are in the water column more closely resembling summer than spring and this has implications for other parts of the food chain. 'We are also seeing increased incidence of species such as tuna and octopus – the latter have been reported to be taking from crab pots, in turn affecting the shellfish industry. 'Longer term, due to ocean warming, the distribution of species is expected to change, and this will have implications for the species we see in UK waters - and on our dinner tables!' Cooler weather is expected this coming weekend alongside stronger westerly wind which might break up the warm 'olive oil' layer at the surface and allow cooler water to mix in. That might mean gradually reducing surface temperatures and an end to the heatwave in the coming weeks. However, scientists warn that climate change is making events like this more likely. Over the past 40 years, the Met Office has found that the UK's waters are getting 0.3°C warmer on average every decade. Dr Jonathan Tinker, marine climate scientist at the Met Office, says: 'With projections suggesting UK summer sea temperatures could rise by up to 2.5°C by 2050, such events are likely to become more frequent, intense and longer-lasting. 'Marine heatwaves offer a glimpse into how changing ocean conditions could shape future weather conditions.' SEA LEVELS COULD RISE BY UP TO 4 FEET BY THE YEAR 2300 Global sea levels could rise as much as 1.2 metres (4 feet) by 2300 even if we meet the 2015 Paris climate goals, scientists have warned. The long-term change will be driven by a thaw of ice from Greenland to Antarctica that is set to re-draw global coastlines. Sea level rise threatens cities from Shanghai to London, to low-lying swathes of Florida or Bangladesh, and to entire nations such as the Maldives. It is vital that we curb emissions as soon as possible to avoid an even greater rise, a German-led team of researchers said in a new report. By 2300, the report projected that sea levels would gain by 0.7-1.2 metres, even if almost 200 nations fully meet goals under the 2015 Paris Agreement. Targets set by the accords include cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero in the second half of this century. Ocean levels will rise inexorably because heat-trapping industrial gases already emitted will linger in the atmosphere, melting more ice, it said. In addition, water naturally expands as it warms above four degrees Celsius (39.2°F). Every five years of delay beyond 2020 in peaking global emissions would mean an extra 8 inches (20 centimetres) of sea level rise by 2300. 'Sea level is often communicated as a really slow process that you can't do much about ... but the next 30 years really matter,' said lead author Dr Matthias Mengel, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in Potsdam, Germany.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Telegraph
The golden rules of safe (and responsible) open-water swimming
Whether it's the sea, a river, lake, tidal pool, tarn, waterfall, pond or reservoir, more Britons than ever are enjoying the benefits of wild swimming. According to the Outdoor Swimming Society (OSS), 7.5 million people have turned to the open water since the pandemic. But what actually is open water swimming? Firstly, don't be intimidated by the words 'open water'. Anyone swimming outside of the controlled environment of a swimming pool – which is confined, life-guarded (in the UK) and filled with water that is monitored for quality – is engaging in open-water, or wild, swimming. The experience is as much about communing with nature as it is about exercise. There might be a sunrise or a sunset, geese in formation, a murmuration of starlings, or a kingfisher on a riverside perch. In colder months, when our instinct is to hibernate, a cold-water dip feels like cheating at winter. An open-water 'swim' might mean a plunge or a quick bob. Open-water swimming is one of the most inclusive activities to try. It is free, low impact, needs little to no equipment and can be a solo or a communal experience shared by swimmers of all ages. Outdoor swimming does carry an element of risk though, given the unknown perils of any body of water. The good news is it's easier than ever to arm yourself with the knowledge and technology to reduce risks. Here are some tips and techniques to help you stay safe in the water.
