Three people die in beach tragedies within a few hours at top UK holiday hotspots

Three people have died in two separate beach tragedies within a few hours of each other at popular holiday hotspots. A spokeswoman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were called by the South Western Ambulance Service at around 9.45pm on Sunday 26 July following reports that two people had been recovered from the water at Fistral Beach, Newquay.“Emergency services attended and a cordon was put in place, which has since been removed.“Sadly, a man and a woman were pronounced deceased at the scene. Their families have been informed, and our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.Two people have died after getting into difficulty in water off Fistral Beach in Newquay (file picture)Getty“A file will be prepared for HM Coroner.”Earlier in the day, a man died after getting into difficulty in the water off West Wittering in West Sussex. Sussex Police was called to the beach near Pound Road in the popular seaside village at about 2.30pm after two men got into difficulty in the water.Police said both men were pulled from the sea, but one was confirmed dead at the scene. The other was taken to hospital as a precaution. West Wittering Estate, which manages West Wittering Beach, said: “The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently being established and it would be inappropriate to speculate at this time.West Wittering beach in West Sussex (file picture)PA Archive“Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the man's family, friends and all those affected by this tragic incident.”Shelina Rahman, 41, and Sameeha Rahman were among several people who got into difficulty in the sea near Seaview Avenue in West Mersea. Read MoreThe latest tragedies happened as hundreds of thousands flocked to beaches at the weekend amid one of the driest and warmest summers on record. The temperature in West Wittering reached highs of 26.5C on Sunday afternoon. In Newquay, a maximum temperature of 20.2C was recorded by the Met Office. A yellow heat alert has been issued from 9am on Tuesday to 9am on Friday for the East and West Midlands, the south-east, south-west and east of England, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber.