Parts of the UK could hit 35 degrees this week (Image: Getty)
The latest heatwave of the summer has arrived, just a couple of weeks after the most recent one, with some areas of the UK predicted to see temperatures as high as 35 degrees. The Met Office has warned parts of southern England could see highs of 33 degrees today, Wednesday, and 34 on Thursday, while some isolated areas could see readings of 35 degrees on Friday and Saturday.
An amber alert, indicating a “likely” risk of death for vulnerable groups and a greater chance of water-related incidents, has been issued for the West Midlands, the East Midlands, the East of England, the South East, and South West, running from 9am today until 9pm on Sunday, July 12. It’s no surprise, then, that many of us are looking for ways to stay cool. Now one woman who previously lived in Australia, where summer temperatures regularly hit the mid-30s, and sometimes surpass 40 degrees, has provided some useful tips on staying cool.
The woman, known as thedeclutteringmum on TikTok, where she has almost 2,000 followers, posted a video on the social media platform where she outlined a series of tips. “Here are a few tips for staying cool in the very hot weather from someone who used to live in Australia and has travelled extensively in very hot parts of the world,” she said.
Shut all your windows
“So the first thing is, as soon as the temperature gets hotter outside than inside – this is normally around 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning, it’s quite early – shut all your windows and shut all your blinds, curtains, etc,” she said. “This is because it’s gonna get hotter outside.
“It will stay much cooler if you deflect any sunshine that’s gonna come pouring into your windows. And also, you don’t want that heat coming in. So do keep all those windows closed, all the curtains and all the blinds, as soon as it starts getting hotter outside, as I say, about 8, 9 o’clock in the morning.
How to use a fan effectively
She continued: “Fans do just tend to move the air around. If you want to do a makeshift air conditioner, if you don’t have an air conditioner, take a traditional fan, put a table just behind it or a surface with a bowl of ice.
“What will happen is that, as that ice melts, the air around it is gonna get colder, and that is the air that your fan is then going to push around the room, creating a cooler feeling.”
What to eat and drink
“Just keep a water bottle with you, and every single time you look at it, take a sip,” she said. “It’s really, really easy to get very dehydrated very quickly in these extreme temperatures.
“Also, make sure that you’re eating smart. Eat water-rich foods, eat light foods. Your body is going to thank you for it. So salads, fruits, that kind of thing. Try to avoid heavy, greasy foods. Your body actually has to work harder to process it.”
She added, while the temptation might be to reach for ice-cold beverages, room-temperature drinks can also be beneficial. “If you drink drinks the same as your body temperature, it helps regulate your body temperature,” she said. “So, not a super hot cup of tea, but if you’re drinking things like herbal teas or decaffeinated teas or coffees, that can actually help keep your temperature regulated.”
What to wear
Continuing, she said: “The other thing is, obviously, wear loose and light clothing, to make sure that your body can, again, breathe properly.”
When to go outside
“The other very obvious one is try to change your plan so that you do not have to be out during the peak heat of the day,” she added. “So that’s normally anywhere between sort of 11 and 3 or 4 o’clock in the day.
“If you can be inside, be inside a space, that’s cool. You’re gonna thank yourself.
“It may not be possible, but if you can make those adaptations to the plans that you’ve got, do it. Make sure that you keep young children especially inside at this time.
“If you do have to go outside, make sure you have wide-brimmed hats that you wear, and put sun cream on and replenish it every two hours. Putting it on at the start of the day or having it as part of your face and your skincare routine is not going to cut it.
“You need factor 50 and you need to replenish it every two hours. Or if you’ve gone for a swim, directly after. Set an alarm on your phone. This type of weather will just scorch your skin. It is so, so dangerous.
“Every single time you burn your skin, you are at risk of various things. I’m not gonna scaremonger, but you are at risk if you burn yourself, any time you burn yourself. So get that factor 50 over any skin that is exposed.”
What has the Met Office said about the heatwave?
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Steven Keates urged people to “take the usual precautions with the heat and the sun”. He said: “Parts of the UK are entering heatwave conditions: the third heatwave in the UK so far this year.
“However, unlike the May and June heatwaves, we are not expecting this heatwave to be record-breaking. Temperatures this week are not expected to reach the highs we witnessed last month, though parts of southern England in particular are likely to see several days in the low 30s, and a few places could reach 34 to 35 degrees later this week.”
The Met Office also warned England could experience “tropical nights” later this week, where temperatures will not fall below 20 degrees.
