The UK is baking, and with temperatures set to top 40°C in some parts of the country, an emergency weather warning has been introduced by the government.
Let’s be honest – Brits really aren’t used to temperatures this high at home and work, so everyone is looking for hacks to make our days a bit more bearable.
There’s lots of good advice for dealing with a heatwave, from how to look after yourself, your home, your kids and your pets to how to spot the signs of dehydration and heatstroke in yourself and others. Key is drinking lots of water and investing in a handy fan if you can.
But what of your windows? Should you be opening them or keeping them shut? And how about your curtains and blinds – should they be closed, too?
We asked the experts to find out.
Windows: open or shut in a heatwave?
When it’s hot, it’s our natural reaction to open the windows to get some fresh air, but is this making us hotter?
If the air is cooler outside, you should open your windows to let the air in. But when temperatures start to rise outside, keep your windows shut to avoid letting hot air in your home and making yourself warmer. If you’re not sure how to check if it’s hotter inside or outside, use a thermometer in both places.
Chris Nye, from Your Overseas Home, says: “It might seem counterintuitive, but if the air outside is hotter than the air in your home, keeping your windows closed could help your home stay a little cooler.”
However, at night, you might want to open them a bit. “After the sun goes down, the outside air will start to cool down,” says Dr Lindsay Browning, sleep expert at, And So To Bed. “At this point, it is a great idea to open the windows to let in a breeze of cool external air into the bedroom, helping cool the room and to provide needed air circulation.”
This works particularly well if you have windows on both sides of your room or home. Just remember to close them first thing the morning again.
Curtains and blinds: closed or not?
If the sun shines directly into your home, you should close your curtains to try and keep rooms as cool as possible on the hottest days of the year.
“If your house does experience more sunlight throughout the day, it’s recommended you keep your curtains, shutters and blinds shut to stop the sunlight from beaming into your home,” Lucy Askew, a spokesperson for Hillarys blinds previously told HuffPost UK.
“This will keep things marginally cooler and slightly more bearable during heatwaves.”
Nye adds: “You may even want to opt for blackout curtains to keep windows covered and block the sunlight out completely.”
Should you put foil on your windows?
Putting foil on your windows is the latest heatwave hack doing the rounds on TikTok.
Sunlight usually shines through a window which increases the heat of the sun and makes your house warm. But this hack can help you limit the amount of sunlight that get into your home.
Simply roll out some kitchen foil and apply it on your windows to block out direct sunlight.
This hack is popular in America where some states experience high temperatures all year round. In the video below, @americanredcross suggest cutting cardboard and adding it to the window after you applied to the foil.
And if your home has heated up a bit too much? It may actually be cooler to get outdoors for a bit – though do avoid the hottest part of the day. And if you are heading out, stick to shady spots such as under trees or a sun parasol.
Stay cool, everyone!
