Households in England and across the UK are being urged to close their windows, as well as curtains and blinds, from Monday.
Temperatures had a bit of a dip over the past few weeks as the recent sunshine gave way to rain, which was a boost for gardeners if not for barbecues. But this coming Monday, August 11, a heat health alert has been issued by the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA).
Although temperatures are expected to be cool this weekend, from Monday at midday a Yellow Heat Health Alert has been issued for every region but two.
The alert is in place from Monday at midday until 6pm on Tuesday, the UKHSA said, and will apply to all regions except the North East and North West.
Homes across England in particular will become potentially uncomfortably hot when the weather warms up. According to the latest Met Office forecasts, parts of England will see temperatures of 28C on Monday, rising to 29C on Tuesday, then 30C on Wednesday, though Wednesday will have some partial cloud cover to help out.
It means that households in England are being urged to take steps to keep their house cool in the sunshine.
And one way of doing so is to close windows and curtains or blinds in the sunniest conditions, and tactically open windows in shaded areas and open all your windows again in the evening, when outside air temperatures are lower.
Energy firm OVO says: “Tempting as it is to fling open the windows at the first sign of summer, it’s not actually the best idea. To keep your house cool, you need to keep the hot air out.
“This means keeping windows closed during the day – particularly south-facing windows. Keep curtains, blinds and windows shut when the sun is shining directly on them, and when you’re out. Try opening windows on the most shaded side of your home, to avoid sunlight and hot air getting in.”
According to the advice from heating professionals at BOXT, many commonly believed cooling techniques might not only be ineffective but could also hit your wallet hard.
Andy Kerr, the founder of BOXT, explains: “Getting rid of unwanted heat in your home can be difficult in the summer months, especially when most UK properties are built to retain heat. While grabbing a fan or opening up all your windows are often mentioned as effective ways to cool your home, these methods may not result in the desired results.”
He added: “To help homeowners keep cool as the warmer months approach, we have revealed which common home cooling hacks are myths and why they don’t work so you can avoid them this summer.
“When temperatures are particularly warm, opening up all your windows will let more hot air into your home, heating up your home and making you feel warmer.
“Instead of opening all your windows, it is much better to strategically open windows to create cross breezes throughout the day and open your windows during the night to let cooler air in.”