Households in England and across the UK are being urged to close their windows, as well as curtains and blinds, all this week until at least Sunday. The heatwave has officially returned to the UK this week in earnest, with hot weather baking our homes once more. And it’s going to continue to stay hot all week, until this coming Sunday, August 17, according to the latest Met Office forecast.
The forecaster said that officially recognised heatwave conditions will arrive in parts of England by the middle of this week, but hot weather is likely to hang around for several more days. On Wednesday, temperatures will hit 28C in London, rising to 29C on Thursday, then a truly sweltering 31C on Friday. On Saturday, it will dip back to 27C before reaching a slightly more manageable 26C on Sunday again.
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.”
The Met Office forecast says: “Warmth is building for many in the coming days, with much of central and southern England likely to reach heatwave criteria by midweek.
“A combination of high pressure and a southerly airflow will see temperatures rise for much of England and Wales in the first half of the week, with temperatures reaching in excess of 30°C for some on Monday and likely peaking towards the mid-30s in London on Tuesday.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tom Crabtree said: “Warmth is the focus in the forecast in the first half of this week, with temperatures likely to peak on Tuesday around the mid-30s, but remaining above average in the second half of the week, particularly further to the southeast.
“The exception to the widely warm conditions will be northwest Scotland on Monday, where showers will be more frequent. Warmth will develop there from Tuesday with temperatures peaking in the mid to high 20s.”
