Households are being urged to put bowls of water in their windows and around the house on Tuesday in a bid to battle the ongoing heatwave.
The record breaking May conditions are set to continue baking the UK on Tuesday, May 26, especially in England, which is set to bear the brunt of the worst of the heat according to the latest Met Office forecasts.
The UK has recorded its all-time hottest meteorological spring temperature as part of London hit 34.8C on Bank Holiday Monday. The provisional reading at Kew Gardens, south-west London, broke the highest May temperature that, until Monday, stood at 32.8C reached in 1922 and 1944, the Met Office said at around 5pm. Temperature records are usually broken by just tenths of a degree.
It is also 10C to 15C hotter than average for much of the UK, the forecasters’ senior meteorologist Greg Dewhurst reported.
And on Tuesday, the forecast will continue to be scorching in England. The Met Office said: “Another sunny day across England and Wales as the heatwave continues, with a small chance of a few heavy, thundery showers. Fresher for Scotland and Northern Ireland with sunny spells.”
Charity the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has advice for households struggling with the heat.
CSE’s Katey suggests placing some bowls of water around the house, including in the bedroom.
She said: “It might sound a bit odd, but bowls of water help cool hot air. You can also hang a wet sheet. Basically, hanging a wet sheet in front of the window will help to bring the room temperate down.
“Katey also says she’s a big fan of running a bedsheet under the tap and wringing it out and using it as duvet in really hot weather.
“Nothing I’ve found works better for getting a good night’s sleep in the heat”, she told the charity.
Popping a bowl of water on your windowsill, or a bedside table, can help cool down your room using a process called evaporative cooling.
Put simply, evaporating water enters the air and brings the temperature of the air down as it evaporates. This is similar to how evaporative aircon units work; by adding moisture to the air to cool off the air itself.
Appropedia says: “Water can be used to cool a room when you don’t have air conditioning or want to save electricity. Evaporation is the best method and these methods are often referred to as a “swamp cooler”.