The Government agency charged with keeping the public safe is urging people to make their homes as cool as possible this week as temperatures soar in the summer’s fourth heatwave.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says that top-floor flats in particular are at risk of overheating because heat rises.
Homes with windows opening on just one side of the property, which reduces the scope for ventilation, can also send temperatures soaring.
But homes and people across the country risk overheating this week as temperatures exceed 33°C in some parts of the country.
“These kinds of temperatures can result in serious health outcomes across the population,” Dr Paul Coleman, a consultant in Public Health at UKHSA, told The i Paper.
UKHSA experts advise people to keep their homes cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun.
This move is widely seen as the best “first defence” against high temperatures.
Closing curtains and windows can help keep out the heat (Photo: Uwe Krejci/Digital Vision/Getty)External shutters that keep the cooler air in and the warmer air out, which are popular in hotter parts of Europe, will also help keep the temperature down.
Open windows at night:
Professor George Havenith, of Loughborough University, was involved in the Heat-Shield study, published in the Lancet journal, which looked at the habits of more than 400 million people across Europe.
His advice was: “Keep your house cool by ventilating at night and in the morning (where this can be safely done), but then closing curtains to avoid peak heat and the sun shining in and heating it up.”
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Natalie Mitchell, a property and construction expert at HomeHow.co.uk website adds: “A great hack is to create cross-ventilation by opening windows on opposite sides of your home.
“This method will help to draw a strong current of air that helps to remove stale, hot air and bring in a fresh breeze.”
Professor Havenith also strongly urges people to use a fan at home when the mercury soars.
He notes there is some debate among the general pubic about when to use a fan, but says: “In the UK, fans should always be used indoors, unless the indoor temperature is above 34°C,” he said.
“Fans use about 50 times less electricity than air conditioning units.”
Above 34°C, the fan becomes ineffective and may even make things worse by simply circulating hot air.
Take frequent cool showers:
Mitchell recommends taking “frequent cool showers or baths to quickly refresh yourself – and fill a spray bottle with cold water to mist yourself with for instant relief”.
“Applying cool, wet cloths to your pulse points will help to cool your blood as it circulates through your body,” she says.
There are also steps you can take to keep yourself cool through your clothing, she says.
“Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing made from breathable fabrics. Dark colours absorb heat, and tighter clothing will trap it against your skin,” she added.
“Dressing appropriately for the heat will help to keep air flowing around your body and allow sweat to evaporate and cool you down.”
Use less electrical equipment:
Meanwhile, the UKHSA says there are things you can do to generate less heat within the home.
It recommends turning off lights and electrical equipment (which produce heat) that are not in use, and to consider cooking at cooler times of the day.
Move to a cooler part of the home:
And think about which part of the house to inhabit. Move to a cooler part of the house, especially for sleeping, if possible.
Basements and lower floors tend to be cooler, while spaces with north-facing windows and rooms with minimal direct sunlight are also less warm.
It may also be cooler outside in the shade or in a public building, such as places of worship, local libraries, or supermarkets.
A visit to one of those may be a way of cooling down if you are able to safely travel there without putting yourself at more risk from the heat.
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