Families across the UK are being urged to follow best practice to keep their homes cool as temperatures rise again. Hotter weather is set to return to the UK at the end of this week, according to the Met Office, with temperatures spiking this Friday and staying hot all the way to their peak on Monday, June 22. Conditions could hit a positively scorching 33C in parts of England by Monday, June 22, according to the latest forecasts, while temperatures rise across several other parts of the UK.
Consequently, everyone who needs to keep their house cool will be looking for ways to keep the heat out, which experts advise includes closing curtains when the sun returns. The Met Office says conditions will begin to get hotter on Friday, and then Saturday, Sunday, and Monday will all be scorching. In London, the temperature will hit 30C on Friday, before a slight dip to 27C on Saturday, rising back to 29C on Sunday and 30C on Monday. Tuesday will be even hotter, at 31C, and the forecast still predicts 30C next Wednesday, June 24 too, so it follows that closing curtains and blinds on all of these days is a good idea to dispel heat.
Because your average British house is designed to retain heat for our generally mild climate and chilly winters, they are ill-prepared for getting rid of excess heat, trapping warmth and quickly transforming into uncomfortably hot and humid sweat boxes. Advice previously issued by energy supplier British Gas tells households how to reduce heat build-up in their homes by closing curtains during the day. It says, in its advice on how to keep your house cool in hot weather: "Tempting as it might be to throw your windows open during a heatwave, leaving them shut when the day is at its hottest will keep rooms cool in summer. So try to only let in the air early, or late, in the day."
British Gas also stresses that households can close and open doors tactically. It says: "A good strategy is to open windows on opposite sides of your home in the early morning or late evening when the outdoor temperature is lower. This encourages airflow by letting the warm air inside escape and be replaced by cooler air from outside. If that’s not an option, for example if you live in a flat that only has windows on one side, open internal doors and use a fan to get the air moving." As well as keeping your house cool, keeping yourself cool is important. It adds: "When dressing after a shower, pick loose, lightweight clothing made of natural fibres like cotton and linen, which can help regulate temperature. Keeping clothing loose-fitting means that it’ll move if there’s a breeze, which can help to cool you down."
The Met Office forecast for this weekend says: "Headline maximum temperatures for the period are: 32°C on Friday in East Anglia, 28°C on Saturday as the warmest air temporarily shifts away from the UK, 32°C in the south and southeast of England on Sunday and the potential for 33°C in the same areas on Monday as warm conditions build again from the south." Deputy Chief Forecaster, Gregory Wolverson, said: “This week’s weather reflects a contrast we often see in summer, with more unsettled conditions passing to the northwest of the UK while heat builds in the south and east. As we move towards the weekend, we’ll see conditions become more widely settled and temperatures rise all round. Many parts of southern and eastern England are likely to see temperatures high enough to meet heatwave thresholds. It’s important to note that while temperatures may be high, we might not all see the wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies we experienced back in May because there is more cloud around. There is also a chance of thunderstorms developing in places, particularly later each day, which could bring heavy showers and localised impacts.”
