As the UK swelters through a punishing heatwave, with record temperatures including 35.1°C in London and a record overnight low of 21.4°C, Brits are desperate for ways to stay cool. One journalist, Esther Walker, claims she has the solution after spending 16 years heat-proofing her home.
Walker, who lives in a south-facing house in Kentish Town, north-west London, recommends installing a ceiling fan in the bedroom. She told the i newspaper that she made the decision during a sleepless hot night, despite skepticism from her husband and electricians who thought the request was odd during winter building work.
Her advice comes as a Climate Change Committee report warns that British homes will need air conditioning to cope with predicted global heating over the next decade. According to figures from the International Institute for Environment and Development, London has experienced 116 days above 30°C in the past 30 years, with over half occurring in the last decade.
While temperatures are beginning to ease, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has warned of the dangers of open water swimming after five children died since the heatwave began. Cold water shock can cause hyperventilation and spikes in heart rate and blood pressure.
