Swarms of 'killer' jellyfish set to hit UK beaches with 'high risk' warning to kids

dailystar.co.uk:

beaches this week as temperatures soar during the heatwave, it has been warned. Parents have been urged to look out for Portuguese Man o' War jellyfish in response to forecasts reaching up to 34C in some areas.

The sizzling temperatures could cause the gigantic creatures into making an appearance - sparking fears for eager swimmers. Portuguese Man o' War have 160ft tentacles, which can grow up to the size of five double-decker buses, reports The Sun.The fish usually strike below the water's surface and can often be found in shallow waters as tides wash up marine creatures that they prey on.Families have been told that children are most at risk from the sea creatures, with the elderly also being classed as high risk to sting deaths.A spokesperson for a national survey tracking jellyfish populations warned that they have noticed "significant recent rises in the numbers of some jellyfish species in UK seas".Pensioner Maria Furcas, 69, tragically suffered an allergic reaction and died after the jellyfish targeted her leg at Porto Tramatzu near Cagliari, Sardinia in 2010.In 2018, teenager Verity Stainton was left with burns all over her body after the creature set its sights on her while swimming near Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire."The tentacles were wrapped round her body, and her arms and fingers," her mother Christina said at the time."She had large stings to her thighs, and rashes on her legs.