UK households have been warned not to use their ovens on Monday and Tuesday amid a heatwave that could see temperatures reach 33C. Turning your oven on when it’s already hot inside and outside could make your home even warmer and make for an unpleasant cooking experience.
The same can be said of the hob, so opt for dishes such as salads that do not require cooking to enjoy cooler evenings this summer. The Met Office has warned of “sunny and hot” weather today in England and Wales before “hot and muggy” conditions tomorrow. On June 30, temperatures in South England are set to reach 32C by 3pm, according to the weather agency. The following day, London is expected to hit 33C in the afternoon.
Another way to keep you home warm during the heatwave is to keep it dark. Opening all the windows may seem like a good idea to let a breeze in, but it may just end up filling each room with warm air.
Instead, keep the windows closed and close the curtains to block out the light and heat. Then, when temperatures drop in the evening and at night, open the windows to let the cooler air in.
While all the windows are closed many people will turn on a fan to keep them cool, but eventually this will just blow warm air around.
To improve this, fill a large container with ice and a handful of salt and place it in front of the fan. When the air blows, it’ll pass through the cold ice and cool down.
Another method is to hang a damp cloth over the fan, which cools the air as it evaporates from the cloth.
Plants can also be utilised to bring down the temperature of your house.
People with a terrace or balcony should place large-leaved plants and creepers just outside the door to act as insulators. Other plants such as poto or sansevieria should be left indoors to purify and cool the air.
