English households urged to put bowl of water in window on Tuesday | UK | News
To combat the ongoing heatwave, households are asked to place containers of water on their windows and around the house on Tuesday.
Record-breaking May conditions will continue to negatively impact the UK on Tuesday 26 May, with England in particular set to bear the brunt of the worst heat according to the latest Met Office forecasts.
England recorded its highest meteorological spring temperature of all time on Bank Holiday Monday, with London reaching 34.8C. The provisional measurement taken at Kew Gardens in south-west London broke the highest May temperature of 32.8 degrees reached by Monday, reached in 1922 and 1944, the Met Office said at around 17:00. Temperature records are often broken by tenths of a degree.
Greg Dewhurst, the forecasters’ senior meteorologist, said weather across much of the UK was 10 to 15 degrees warmer than average.
And the weather is forecast to continue to be scorching in England on Tuesday. The Met Office said: “Another sunny day in England and Wales with a slight chance of heavy thunderstorms as the heatwave continues. Fresher weather for Scotland and Northern Ireland with sunny weather.”
The Charity Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has advice for households struggling with the heat.
CSE’s Katey suggests placing a few bowls of water around the house, including the bedroom.
He said: “It may sound a little strange, but bowls filled with water help cool the hot air. You can also hang a wet sheet. Basically, hanging a wet sheet in front of the window will help reduce the temperature of the room.”
“Katey also says she loves putting the sheet under the tap, wringing it out, and using it as a duvet in very hot weather.
“Nothing I’ve found is better for getting a good night’s sleep in the heat,” he told the charity.
Pouring a bowl of water on your windowsill or nightstand can help cool your room using a process called evaporative cooling.
Simply put, evaporating water enters the air and lowers the temperature of the air as it evaporates. This is similar to how evaporative air conditioning units work; by adding moisture to the air to cool 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 called “swamp coolers.”
