
All Welsh households urged to shut windows during the day this weekend
As the UK goes through another heatwave this weekend, it's important to take as many steps as possible to keep your home cool - but one common mistake could actually be making things worse
Opening the window doesn't always cool you down
(Image: bymuratdeniz via Getty Images )
As another wave of sizzling weather approaches, parts of Wales are bracing for a weekend of temperatures rising well above 30C. Because of this, it's so important to try and stay cool.
It's tempting to fling open the windows in search of relief when indoors becomes too warm, but this may actually make the heat feel even worse. B&Q's home experts have warned against opening windows at peak times, to prevent your home from becoming even hotter.
During the day, with temperatures at their highest, it's recommended to keep windows shut, especially if the outdoors is warmer than inside, reports the Express.
This is especially true for windows facing south and west, according to the experts. They suggested: "As evening approaches and the sun starts to set, you can open your windows again to allow your home to get a good dose of the cool air."
How to keep cool during heatwave
Keep curtains shut
Aside from shutting the windows during the day, there are a few other ways to keep your home as cool as possible when the weather is hot outside. One of these is keeping the curtains and blinds shut too, as this will act as a barrier and prevent excess sunlight from heating up the room.
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Choose the right bedding
Choosing appropriate bedding also plays a crucial role in managing indoor temperature during hot spells.
You may also want to switch to lightweight, breathable bedding fabrics such as cotton or linen, which will help keep you cooler at night compared to synthetic materials.
The weather will be very warm for much of the UK this weekend
(Image: Getty )
Use a fan
Fans are known for their cooling benefits, especially at night. However, when the temperature outdoors is lower than indoors, the positioning of your fan can make a significant difference.
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Experts at The Spruce recommend placing the fan beside an open window, directing the airflow into the room. This technique is most effective in the evening.
During the day, when the this is reversed, and it's warmer indoors than outdoors, the experts suggest: "When the two temperature points reverse and it's warmer indoors than outdoors, turn the fan around so the air is blowing toward the outside."

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North Wales Live
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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
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New Statesman
2 days ago
- New Statesman
Long live the solar power revolution
Photo by Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images This summer has been too hot. This won't be news to you: clues include the proliferation of handheld fans on public transport, men braving the outside world shirtless and the deluge of online heatwave 'life hacks', including putting a wet towel in the freezer to create a makeshift cooling device (beware: we tried this in 2022 and broke both our freezer and fridge). UK temperatures peaked at 35.8°C in Kent on 1 July, but that figure didn't include the heat generated by the furious discourse on air-conditioning, and whether Britain should have more of it, given temperatures like those felt this summer are becoming the norm. One set of commentators like to point out that Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of modern Singapore, attributed his country's economic success to widespread aircon resulting in higher productivity, and think Britain might want to consider following his lead. The others note the link between rising global temperatures and the vast quantities of fossil fuels being burned, and suggest doing more of the latter to make the former mildly less uncomfortable isn't going to fix the problem. Both are right, of course – and going down the rabbit hole of parsing the class indicators, cultural norms and political alignments that put you on one side of the fence or the other is fascinating. But in-between diversions into moral philosophy (should we care more about an elderly person in the UK dying of heat exhaustion than a young person in another country losing their home to rising sea levels?) there is an obvious question. If the problem is blazing temperatures making us all overheat, why can't we convert some of that sunlight into energy to keep us cool? The answer, as I found out while blearily doomscrolling during another night of heat-induced sleeplessness, is: we can. In fact, we are. Anyone searching for some good news amid the non-stop stories of civil unrest, economic precarity and geopolitical turmoil should read Bill McKibben's recent long read in the New Yorker about the solar power revolution. 'It took from the invention of the photovoltaic solar cell, in 1954, until 2022 for the world to install a terawatt of solar power,' McKibben writes. 'The second terawatt came just two years later, and the third will arrive either later this year or early next.' Across the world, a gigawatt's worth of solar panels is installed every 15 hours. Battery technology is improving at a rate that would impress Gordon Moore (of Moore's Law fame), and the majority of renewable energy is now cheaper to produce than energy from fossil fuels. China is leading the charge, having worked out early that the first countries to figure out the switch to renewable electricity will be the superpowers of tomorrow. And from Pakistan to Eswatini, people in rural areas are leap-frogging connection to the grid by setting up personal solar farms. All well and good for countries that enjoy lots of sunlight, but is there any positive news for the overcast UK? Surprisingly, yes. In a week dominated by the government's failure to get its welfare reforms through parliament, you may have missed the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's announcement of its 'Solar Roadmap', in which Ed Miliband rejoices at the opportunities ahead. 'Solar offers huge potential to boost our energy independence, bring down bills and tackle the climate crisis,' writes the Energy Secretary. 'It also presents a significant economy and industrial opportunity. We estimate that the solar sector could support around 35,000 jobs by 2030, double the number it supports today.' 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'Explore its potential' is often used as government-speak for 'we'd like to do this but it's too difficult'. (The safety concerns relate to the way British sockets and connections to the UK grid work, apparently.) But think of the political win if hundreds of thousands of renters suddenly got access to free electricity. This is exactly the kind of policy a government focused on improving living standards and increasing energy security should have at the top of its list. The 'Solar Roadmap' was published on a day when temperatures in Westminster hit 32°C. It doesn't actually mention air-conditioning – which is, incidentally, far less energy-intensive than heating a home during winter – but just imagine a British heatwave without the annual flame-war over whether it's morally acceptable to cool down your house, because your rooftop or balcony solar panels are generating clean electricity guilt-free. The debate we should be having isn't yes or no. It's how – and, more importantly, how fast. [See also: Labour's summer of discontent] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related