As the UK swelters under record-breaking June temperatures, households across England and Wales are being urged to try a simple freezer trick: placing socks filled with uncooked rice in the freezer. The advice comes after the UK recorded its hottest June day on Wednesday, June 24, with provisional figures showing temperatures reached 36.1°C in Gosport, Hampshire. This marks the third time the UK’s June temperature record has been broken in a single day.
Red Heat Health Alert Extended
A red warning for extreme heat is in place from 9am on Wednesday until 11.59pm on Thursday. The warning states: "An exceptional spell of hot and humid weather is expected across this region, with impacts to the general population highly likely." The Met Office has issued amber and red heat health alerts across large parts of England and Wales, warning of prolonged hot and humid conditions both day and night.
The Rice Sock Trick
One affordable and unusual trick, previously shared by TV presenter Alison Hammond on ITV's This Morning, is filling a clean sock with uncooked rice, tying the end securely, and placing it in the freezer for one to three hours. Hammond explained that the sock "moulds to your body," making it a flexible and comfortable way to ease discomfort during hot weather. The cold rice pouch can then be placed on the nape of the neck or other areas to keep cool.
Other Heatwave Hacks
Hammond, who calls herself a "genius in keeping you cool," also shared other simple heatwave hacks. One suggestion is to fill a hot water bottle with cold water and place it in the freezer for a short time before using it as a cooling aid. Another is creating a DIY ice-water spray by filling a bottle with cold water and a handful of ice cubes, making your "own personal cool spray bottle." She also recommended placing a bowl of ice directly in front of a fan: "You can get yourself a fan, you can get a bowl of ice and you put the fan behind the bowl of ice and then you blow it and you literally cool the whole room which is wonderful."
Official Guidance and Impacts
The heat health alerts warn that population-wide impacts are likely, including increased risk of heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses, disruption to travel, and potential failures in infrastructure such as power and water supplies. Officials advise people to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous activity during the hottest hours of the day, and keep homes as cool as possible by closing blinds and curtains on sun-facing windows. Night-time temperatures are also expected to remain unusually high.
