Sorry, But Science Says Sleeping Naked In A Heatwave Is A Terrible Idea

Posted on 26/05/2026 by Boris Clair

The UK just saw its hottest May day on record, and we’ve had some unusually hot “tropical nights” (over 20C) too.

That can ruin your sleep. One paper found that heatwaves are especially ruinous, causing us to lose crucial minutes of shut-eye.

But if you’ve been sleeping in the nip for a cooler night, Natalie Pennicotte-Collier, a resident sleep expert at MattressNextDay, says you might want to reconsider.

Why shouldn’t you sleep naked in a heatwave?

It has to do with how sweat, which needs to evaporate to cool us off, behaves.

You might think that water wicks away faster when we’re naked. But the sleep expert said that’s not always true,

The move “feels logical, but without breathable natural fibre bedding to wick sweat away, moisture simply sits on the skin and creates a clammy humid ‘microclimate’ that is more likely to wake you up in the middle of the night.” Pennicotte-Collier explained.

The same logic applies to your bedsheets – we “should replace [our duvet] with a lightweight breathable layer instead of sleeping completely uncovered,” she said.

Research has her (pyjamaed) back. One paper from the University of Birmingham found that linen bedding was linked to fewer wake-ups among younger participants in hot weather.

How can I get to sleep in a heatwave?

Sleeping on a lower level in your home might help, the Red Cross said, as heat rises.

And paradoxical as it might sound, taking a warm shower might help, too.

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Seeta Shah from PANDA London said: “Many take a cold shower before bed in hot weather, but a shockingly cold shower can actually raise core body temperature as your body works to counteract the sudden cold.

“A lukewarm to slightly cool shower is better. It gently reduces body temperature and triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, helping your body wind down and enter a sleep-conducive state.”

31°C Scorcher Set To Fall This Bank Holiday Weekend, Says Met Office

Posted on 20/05/2026 by Boris Clair

This upcoming bank holiday weekend (Friday 22-Monday 25 May) is set to be “very warm” with “plenty of sunshine,” the Met Office’s current forecast reads.

Per the BBC, some parts of the UK will see the mercury rise to 28°C on Thursday and Friday.

Though very high temperatures (hotter than the hottest day of the year so far, which was 26.6°C), those don’t necessarily mean we’ll be in an official heatwave.

Here’s where temperatures are expected to soar, what makes a heatwave a heatwave, and how long the conditions are expected to last.

Where is it expected to reach 31°C in the UK?

As of time of writing, The Met has forecast 28°C in the South-East, including London, on Saturday, 23 May, with temperatures reaching as high as 30°C on Sunday, 24 May.

And on Monday, the South-East (including London) will see a scorching 31°C, the Met’s interactive forecast map currently reads.

Other parts of the country will still be hot ― Manchester and Plymouth are expected to reach 26°C at the same time on Monday, while Cardiff will reach 27°C.

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Heard it’s warming up?

Temperatures are on the rise later in the week and after the recent chilly spell it will feel markedly warmer📈

It won’t be entirely dry; thunderstorms are possible on Saturday – but it will be a fine and warm long weekend for the vast majority🌤️🌡️ pic.twitter.com/zJzjfv5GEE

— Met Office (@metoffice) May 19, 2026

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Temperatures are on the rise later in the week and after the recent chilly spell it will feel markedly warmer📈 It won’t be entirely dry; thunderstorms are possible on Saturday – but it will be a fine and warm long weekend for the vast majority🌤️🌡️ pic.twitter.com/zJzjfv5GEE— Met Office (@metoffice) May 19, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/2056698970961829888/pu/img/A23jgsvSqbecIASQ.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":720,"title":"Met Office on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/metoffice/status/2056698993757823407","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{"fonts":{"primary":{},"accent":{},"caption":{}}},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"life","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-heatwave-bank-holiday-weekend_uk_6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767","entryTagsList":"weather,heatwave","sectionSlug":"lifestyle","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.lifestyle","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/4c2615b8-caae-4d5a-bab7-30953fac6785/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"weather","slug":"weather","links":{"relativeLink":"news/weather","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/weather","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/weather"},"relegenceSubjectId":983981,"section":{"title":"News","slug":"news"},"topic":{"title":"Weather","slug":"weather","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/weather/"},{"name":"heatwave","slug":"heatwave","links":{"relativeLink":"news/heatwave","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/heatwave","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/heatwave"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/heatwave/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fuk-heatwave-bank-holiday-weekend_uk_6a0d6622e4b0ceb40d485767%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":false,"bodyAds":["

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Heard it’s warming up?

Temperatures are on the rise later in the week and after the recent chilly spell it will feel markedly warmer📈

It won’t be entirely dry; thunderstorms are possible on Saturday – but it will be a fine and warm long weekend for the vast majority🌤️🌡️ pic.twitter.com/zJzjfv5GEE

— Met Office (@metoffice) May 19, 2026

Is that a heatwave?

A heatwave officially occurs when somewhere in the UK gets a minimum of three days in a row at or above the maximum temperature threshold.

In the UK, those maximums vary. The South-East is sunnier than the rest of the UK, meaning its temperature threshold is 28°C or 27°C. London’s threshold is 28°C.

As you head further North and West, that threshold reaches 25°C and 26°C.

London is predicted to reach or exceed these temperatures on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (Tuesday should be a scorcher too), so yes, if those predictions hold, we will be in an official heatwave. Other parts of the country, particularly in the South-East, are likely to qualify too.

How long will the heatwave last?

High pressure, which is responsible for sunny, dry conditions, is expected to last into the week following this Bank Holiday weekend, the Met Office said.

In fact, their long-range forecast reads that while we’ll likely see some rain and scattered showers in between, sunnier, warmer weather could last until “mid-June”.

This Phone Charger Mistake Can Ruin Your Sleep In A Heatwave

Posted on 10/07/2025 by Boris Clair

As the third heatwave of the year begins in earnest, I’ve started to dread the night.

Like most of us, I find that boiling temperatures ruin my sleep.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Seeta Shah from PANDA London previously said that going to bed half an hour later might help you get some shut-eye (a 2012 paper found that heat affects slow-wave and rapid eye movement sleep, meaning the natural cycles you’re meant to go through when asleep are interrupted).

But the British Red Cross advised doing something a little simpler to control the temperature in your room at night.

Unplugging your electronics might reduce heat

The organisation suggested sleeping on the lower floors in your home, as heat rises, as well as staying hydrated and using some thin, breathable bedding.

So far, so predictable.

But I was surprised to read that “even when in standby mode, electrical items can generate heat”.

The British Red Cross therefore suggested switching them off entirely at night.

“Make sure any in the bedroom are turned off and unplugged,” the site said.

Speaking to Ideal Home, David Rees, an appliances expert from HomeSupply, explained that phone and headphone chargers might pose a particularly toasty risk.

These can “seriously overheat and use a lot of excess energy in the summer if not unplugged,” he warned, suggesting we power our devices “throughout the day, so that they can be unplugged as soon as they are fully charged… this will help to save money and prevent overheating in summer”.

Are there any other ways to keep cool?

Wearing cool socks, donning loose-fitting pyjamas, and maintaining a wind-down bedtime routine can all help, the Red Cross said.

“Many take a cold shower before bed in hot weather, but a shockingly cold shower can actually raise core body temperature as your body works to counteract the sudden cold,” Dr Shah warned.

Closing your windows and curtains or blinds at the hottest parts of the day, and opening them in the evening or early morning can help to keep your home cooler, too.

4 Simple, Effective Ways To Cope In Hot Weather During Pregnancy

Posted on 19/06/2024 by Boris Clair

Pregnancy can come with a myriad of symptoms, including nausea and back pain. However, one that’s especially difficult during the summer is feeling that your body is warmer than usual.

According to the NHS, this is due to hormonal changes and an increase in blood supply to the skin. It can also cause you to sweat more.

This is already difficult enough, but during a heatwave, like the one that’s set to hit the UK later this month, staying cool can seem outright unmanageable.

How to cope with hot weather and heatwaves during pregnancy

Stay hydrated, especially if you’re prone to sweating

According to the National Institute of Health, the current recommendation for water intake is drinking 8–10 glasses of water each day. Perhaps up it a little more if you need to or are prone to sweating.

Your pee should be a pale yellow in shade, if it’s darker, you need to drink more water.

Adjust your approach to exercise

The National Childbirth Trust warned: “You might need to adjust your exercise plan while pregnant, particularly if there’s a heatwave. If your body temperature rises too high in the early stages of pregnancy, there are risks.

“So make sure you aren’t over-exerting yourself, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.”

Wear light, cool clothing

Try to wear clothing that is breathable and light-coloured. This means avoiding synthetic fabrics, opting for more airy clothes.

Travel expert Justin Chapman said: “Stick to light-coloured, natural fabrics like cotton and linen in hot weather. These are breathable and will keep you cool, unlike synthetic fabrics that will trap heat, along with bacteria and odour, and make you feel hotter.”

Stay out of the sun where possible

Of course, we all want to make the most of the sun while it’s here, especially in the UK. However, protecting yourself from the sun’s rays will help you to stay cool during hot days.

The NHS recommends staying out of the sun between 11am-3pm, when the sun’s rays are the strongest, and wearing sunglasses and hats to protect yourself and stay cool.

Finally, make sure that you rest! Hot days are tiring as our bodies have to work harder in the heat, so make sure you’re being kind to yourself and resting as much as possible.

So THAT’S Why Our Summer Has Come So Late This Year

Posted on 07/09/2023 by Boris Clair

Wondering why it’s suddenly so warm this week? You’re not alone.

While pretty much everyone loves a bit of sunshine and a bit of warmth, it’s hard not to feel a bit suspicious about the fact that it’s hotter now than it’s been for weeks.

And, although it was (alarmingly) the hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever recorded, according to the World Meteorological Organisation, the UK was overcast and grey for much of August.

So why has it suddenly all changed?

Well, it comes down to a weather phenomenon called an omega block.

While yes, climate change is, of course, exacerbating these weather conditions, and the UK does regularly experience warm Septembers, the omega block is what is directly behind the 30C weather we’re enjoying right now.

What you need to know about an omega block

This is a weather block which is shaped much like the Greek letter of omega (Ω).

Weather front usually bring rain from west to east across the UK, propelled by the jet stream, the strong winds high above the Earth.

However, a block (like an omega) can disrupt this.

As the Met Office explained: “This just means that a big area of high pressure is remaining almost stationary over the same area for a long time.

“The high pressure can stop weather fronts moving past it, so that they skirt around the edges, or stay where they are for an extended period.”

At the moment, high pressure just to the east of the UK and centred over Scandinavia means hot and humid air from the south can sweep in and hover over the country.

Higher pressure means warmer and more settled conditions normally.

But, the block means there’s more unsettled weather on either side of the UK.

At the moment, there’s a tropical storm looming in the North Atlantic and storms in Europe, which has pushed the jet stream down – causing the omega shape.

Blocks can also create a heat dome, where high pressure stops it hot air from escaping, meaning it sinks, warming the ground, and in turn heating up the environment.

Overheated little child is sitting in front of electric fan trying to cool down.

The block could linger for an indefinite amount of time

Weather blocks can hang about for anywhere between a few days to a few months. Once they’re established, they’re pretty hard to move.

The Met Office noted: “Exceptionally they can persist for months around mid-summer, like in 1976, or mid-winter, like in 1963.”

The UK is no stranger to having a warm September, although it’s only gone above 30C a few times. So far this year, the highest temperature is 32.2C – and forecasters expect it stay above 20C at night in many areas.

But thundery downpours will move in from the west on Wednesday, according to Sky News.

Why we might be experiencing more of these in the years to come

Sky weather producer Kirsty McCabe told Sky News that blocked weather patterns “seem to be happening more frequently in recent decades, and that could be linked to the effects of climate change on the jet stream.”

She added that the jet stream which flows over the UK may be changing because there’s less of a temperature contrast between the Earth’s equator and the Arctic.

The jet stream is driven by temperature difference. If the stream flow breaks, an area “can become separated and almost break off, taking low pressure with it and weakening its west to east movement’, the Met Office said.

What We Know About The Cerberus Heatwave Sweeping Southern Europe

Posted on 13/07/2023 by Boris Clair

A deadly heatwave is sweeping southern Europe, with a warning of higher temperatures to come and fears of wildfires and threats to agriculture.

What’s happening and where?

The high-pressure system, which crossed the Mediterranean from north Africa, has been named by Italy’s Meteorological Society as Cerberus – the three-headed dog in ancient Greek mythology who guarded the gates to the underworld.

Emergency measures were put in place in several countries as temperatures in parts of Mediterranean Europe were set to reach 45C on Friday and into the weekend.

Weather alerts were in place across Spain’s Canary Islands, Italy, Cyprus and Greece, with the Greek authorities expecting temperatures to reach as high as 43C on Friday or Saturday.

Health authorities issued a top, red alert warning for 10 Italian cities for the next two days, including Rome, Florence, Bologna and Perugia.

Meanwhile, in the Arctic, a record high temperature of 28.8C was measured at Slettness Fyr on the northern tip of the Norway, Norwegian meteorologists said on Thursday. This tops a previous record from July 1964 when the thermometer reached 27.6C.

Cerberus is being tracked by the European Space Agency, which warned that the heatwave will also be felt in parts of northern Europe.

It said: “Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing a major heatwave with temperatures expected to climb to 48 Celsius on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe.”

What about the UK?

The Met Office has said there is no sign of Cerberus arriving in the UK, with temperatures expected to be close to average or slightly below for July.

As a result of the high pressure being pushed across Europe, low pressure systems have been directed towards the UK. As the UK gets prolonged showers, the weather bureau predicts unsettled conditions to continue for the next few days.

What’s the impact in Europe been?

Tourists in central Athens huddled under mist machines, and zoo animals in Madrid were fed fruit popsicles and chunks of frozen food as measures including staffing changes, cellphone alerts and intensified forest fire patrols were put in place.

In Athens and other Greek cities, working hours were changed for the public sector and many businesses to avoid the midday heat, while air-conditioned areas were opened to the public.

Authorities put an ambulance on standby near the archaeological site of the Acropolis in Athens, ready to provide first aid to tourists wilting in the heatwave.

A man walks past misting fans of a shop in Athens, on July 13, 2023. Greece's national weather service EMY on July 10, 2023, said a six-day heatwave would grip Greece starting July 12. (Photo by SPYROS BAKALIS / AFP) (Photo by SPYROS BAKALIS/AFP via Getty Images) — A man walks past misting fans of a shop in Athens, on July 13, 2023. Greece’s national weather service EMY on July 10, 2023, said a six-day heatwave would grip Greece starting July 12. (Photo by SPYROS BAKALIS / AFP) (Photo by SPYROS BAKALIS/AFP via Getty Images)

In the Balkans, beachgoers in the Croatian town of Nin smeared themselves in its medicinal local mud to protect themselves from the sun while 56 firefighters with 20 vehicles and three aircraft struggled to contain a brush fire near the Adriatic town of Sibenik.

There are concerns about the impact on those working outdoors in Italy after a 44-year-old man who was painting road markings in the northern town of Lodi collapsed and died this week.

As Spain’s politicians fret about how the high temperatures might affect turnout in a general election this month, animals in Madrid’s Zoo were this week being treated to frozen food to cool off amid the sweltering.

Italian farmers’ lobby group Coldiretti said milk production was down by around 10% because cows eat less in the heat, drink huge quantities of water and make less milk.

An orangutan licks a treat on a hot and sunny day at the Madrid Zoo, Spain, Thursday, July 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

What’s causing it? Is climate change a factor?

Professor Hannah Cloke, a climate scientist at Reading University, said that the current heatwave was caused by hot air coming up from the Sahara, with the air mass then becoming lodged across parts of Europe.

She said: “Heat is a silent killer. So this is the main concern that people’s lives are at risk.”

“Certainly, we should immediately stop pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,” Cloke added, warning that some changes to the climate were already locked in.

The impact of extreme summer heat has been brought into focus by research this week that said as many as 61,000 people may have died in Europe’s sweltering heatwaves last summer.

Is there more to come?

The record European temperature of 48.8C was registered in Sicily in August 2021 and that figure could be exceeded.

Luca Lombroso, meteorologist from the AMPRO group in Italy, said: “Next week there will be an even stronger heatwave than this one, some values in the central south will be really freaky.”

“Between Tuesday and Wednesday in Rome and Florence we will probably exceed 40C, which will also be approached in the north,” he added.

With reporting from the AP and Reuters newswires.

First A Heatwave, Now Floods – What’s Going On With The UK’s Climate?

Posted on 15/08/2022 by Boris Clair

British weather has definitely taken a more terrifying turn over the last few months in particular – but just what is causing these sudden fluxes in the climate?

A record-breaking heatwave in July saw the temperature reach an astonishing high of 40.3C, while a longer, albeit slightly cooler, heatwave swept over the UK just a month later.

Now, there are forecasts of rain and thunderstorms which could cause further disruption, with flood alerts issued across multiple regions.

While this is obviously caused by the climate crisis, here’s everything you need to know to understand how it is really affecting our day to day lives.

What caused the hot weather?

The extreme weather which spread across the UK in July was caused by a surge in continental air and August’s heatwave has been caused by a “stubborn area of high pressure sat over the UK”, a Met Office spokesperson told HuffPost UK.

A heat-health alert from the UK Health Security Agency is also still in place until 9am on Tuesday.

The heatwaves have made the UK so dry, that an official drought was declared in eight areas of England on Friday by the National Drought Group.

Welsh Water, Southern Water, and South East Water have brought in hosepipe bans too, while Yorkshire Water and Thames Water are planning to bring them in soon.

The Met Office also believes, despite the coming rain, this summer will be remembered as a particularly dry one.

The chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, (NFCC) Mark Hardingham said: “I can’t remember a summer like this and I’ve been in the fire service 32 years. We are not going to see temperatures as hot as we saw three weeks ago but that doesn’t matter because the ground couldn’t get any drier than it already is.”

Will there be rain?

Not just rain, but storms too. Locations in Northern Ireland and Scotland are already seeing thundery skies, meaning the Met Office has issued some yellow thunderstorm warnings. Storms are expected to hit the south by Wednesday.

Three days of heavy rain are expected in total, potentially accompanied by hail, sweeping in an eastern direction across the country.

The Met Office expects to see at leat 50mm of rain in two or three-hour periods in a few regions, putting low-lying roads and areas next to sloping fields at risk.

But, the rain recorded from the rest of the summer in parts of southern and central England is less than a quarter of what is usually expected in a British summer.

By Thursday, high pressure will have pushed into the UK and so it will stay mostly dry.

Is this rain good or bad?

Well, there hasn’t been substantial rainfall since June in many southern regions.

But there are fears that the intense dry spell – lasting several weeks now – means the land is too dry to absorb the rainwater.

There could therefore be flash flooding, but the rain will do little to ease drought conditions. The thunder could could cause power cuts too.

However, rain does still reduce the threat of wildfires which have strained UK fire services over recent months.

The Met Office’s Dan Stroud said what we really need is “an extended period of light rain, an average or slightly above average autumn”, along with a winter where constant light rain recharges the ground.

Discussing the upcoming downpour, Stroud said: “It will help a little but to be honest really, it’s almost the wrong kind of rain. What we’re likely to see is some heavy, intense downpours.

“With the ground baked so dry, it’s very difficult for the ground to actually absorb the water very quickly… so what tends to happen in these circumstances is the water runs off, and we can potentially get some surface run-off issues, so some flash floods.”

Why is our weather changing so quickly?

Short answer: climate change.

In terms of why this week in particular seems so dramatic, meteorologist Stroud said the drastic changes stem from an alteration in air pressure.

Stroud said: “We’ve had a number of days now where we’ve had clear, strong skies and strong sunshine which has heated up the ground.

“We’ve had high pressure dominating, now we’re having low pressure dominate, so the air is becoming more unstable.

“As we’ve had some very high ground temperatures, it doesn’t actually take too much for the air to become even more unstable and for thundery showers to develop quickly.”

Heavy, thundery rain at first across Northern Ireland and Scotland this Monday morning ⛈️

Drier elsewhere, but thundery rain soon spreading from the west, feeling very warm and muggy for many 🌡️ pic.twitter.com/gVXOzUrduE

— Met Office (@metoffice) August 14, 2022

Is this a one-time thing?

Probably not. The climate crisis is not going anywhere, and is actually getting worse, as our atmosphere continues to heat up.

Temperatures are expected to decrease to a more normal level in August, but that doesn’t mean we can’t expect similarly searing heat next summer.

As professor Hannah Cloke, a natural hazards researcher at the University of Reading told the i newspaper: “With average temperatures rising across the UK, we have to shift the definition of what ‘particularly hot’ is, otherwise that definitely becomes increasingly meaningless.”

She said the UK needs to change how we define a heatwave, as rising greenhouse gas emissions mean higher temperatures are more common now than they were over the last two decades.

Is It Safe To Barbecue At Home In A Heatwave?

Posted on 12/08/2022 by Boris Clair

With extreme temperatures sweeping the UK, people have been urged not to use barbecues in parks, dunes and woodland, as well as on balconies, due to the massive fire risk.

A lack of rainfall in July and August means grass is bone dry and all it takes is a single spark from a barbecue to light up entire stretches of land – not to mention neighbourhoods.

During the first week of August alone, London Fire Brigade (LFB) mobilised thousands of firefighters to 340 grass, rubbish and open land fires – an eightfold increase on the 42 during the same week last year.

We’re incredibly sad to say that there was a fire at Morden Hall Park this weekend, caused by a disposable BBQ.

Everyone was safe, but it’s had a devastating effect, obliterating the meadow.

We urge you not to use BBQs onsite, as they can quickly become very dangerous. pic.twitter.com/GoGEdpSJXM

— Morden Hall Park NT (@MordenHallPkNT) July 25, 2022

To try and help ease the burden on fire brigades, some supermarkets have now stopped selling disposable barbecues due to the fire risk they pose in the hot weather. Sainsbury’s and Tesco are the latest stores to remove the items from sale, following in the footsteps of Marks and Spencer, Aldi and Waitrose.

LFB’s assistant commissioner Jonathan Smith has warned against barbecuing in open spaces or balconies. But what about barbecuing in your garden at home – is it safe?

It’s a tough question to answer.

There’s no advice explicitly telling you not to barbecue at home in your garden. Nobody wants to be a party pooper when it comes to people enjoying the nice weather, but realistically you do need to weigh up whether it’s worth the potential risk of setting your garden alight – and annoying your neighbours into the bargain, as the lack of wind means smoke tends to stick around.

If you are absolutely desperate to get grilling, you should take extra precautions. Your barbecue should be situated well away from your house and away from dry grass, shrubbery, bushes or trees, advises Andrew Chalk, a home insurance specialist at NFU Mutual.

If your barbecue is in need of a clean, make sure you do it. “Hot ashes or sparks are more likely if the barbecue hasn’t been cleaned since it was last used,” says Chalk, “so people should regularly clean their barbecues of ash and old grease.”

Homes with a thatched roof are at particular risk of fire, so make sure any barbecues are positioned as far away as possible to ensure sparks can’t land on the thatch.

When you are cooking outside, Chalk recommends having a bucket of water on hand in case a spark does ignite anything nearby. Also consider wetting the area around the barbecue to make things a little less flammable.

It goes without saying that barbecues should always be operated outdoors, so don’t light one up indoors thinking you’ll reduce the risk of fire. This is incredibly dangerous due to the carbon monoxide fumes.

LFB also warns against using petrol, paraffin or any flammable liquids on your BBQ. Firelighters are a much safer option.

Once you’ve finished cooking, remember that your BBQ can remain hot for hours afterwards. You don’t want to put your still-smouldering-barbecue in your shed, for example, as you could inadvertently cause a blaze.

Sadiq Khan Accuses Tory Leadership Candidates Of ‘Ignoring’ Climate Change

Posted on 19/07/2022 by Boris Clair

Sadiq Khan today accused the Tory leadership candidates of “ignoring” climate change as Britain sizzles in record temperatures.

The mayor of London said the country needed a “brave generation of politicians” in parliament, in an interview with HuffPost UK.

“This heatwave is directly linked with the consequences of climate change,” Khan said as the UK hit its hottest temperature on record of 40.2C at Heathrow.

“So rather than tiptoeing around this issue and ignoring it, as those running to be the Tory leader have done, we should be talking about it more with a sense of urgency.”

The criticism falls as the Tory leadership debate has focused on tax cuts and culture war issues, rather than the climate.

Cabinet minister Alok Sharma, who led last year’s landmark Cop26 UN climate summit, intervened in the Tory leadership race, suggesting to The Observer he might resign if the incoming PM fails to commit to a strong agenda on the climate crisis.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan with Rosamund adoo-kissi-debrah, CEO of the Ella Roberta Family Foundation.

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Chris Skidmore has suggested Tory party members care little about hitting “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050 “because 90 per cent of them will be dead”.

Skidmore admitted a survey which put the climate emergency at the bottom of the list for the people who will choose the next prime minister is “rather depressing” in the Independent.

Leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has previously branded the 2050 net zero commitment “unilateral economic disarmament” and vowed to axe it if elected.

At a hustings event on Monday she appeared to reverse her view before performing another U-turn on TalkTV that evening suggesting there were “circumstances” she would delay it. The three other remaining leadership candidates have all backed net zero.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, whose daughter Ella was nine years old when she suffered a fatal asthma attack in 2013 linked to severe air pollution, has also criticised Conservative leadership hopefuls for dismissing green issues.

Khan added: “I break down politicians into three areas: climate change deniers, climate change delayers and climate change doers.

“And this heatwave should make us all want to be climate change doers, rather than delayers or deniers.”

He added: “This heatwave, caused by climate change, should be a wake up call for all of us – including those running to be the leader of the Conservative Party.

“It’s heartbreaking, in my view, to see the Tories being in denial about this issue.

“I mean, just to think about one of the candidates talking about 2060, 2070, the other candidates being lukewarm at best about the issue of tackling climate change. That is not the sort of leadership we need.”

He added: “It was Conservative politicians in the 1950s during the Great Smog who made the brave decision to close down power stations in the centre of our cities – think of Battersea Power station, think of the Tate Modern, because then you could see the poison.

“The problem is you can’t see the invisible killer, but you can feel the heat.

“What we want to see is a brave generation of politicians in parliament now, tackling climate change and air quality.”

The mayor made the comments as he hosted a climate solutions summit in London’s City Hall.

A woman use portable fan as heatwave hits London, United Kingdom on July 18, 2022.

Transport for London released figures that show the expansion of Khan’s ultra-low emission zone appears to have reduced toxic air levels in the suburbs.

They found that roadside levels of nitrogen dioxide in central London were now 44 per cent lower than they would have been had the Ulez not been introduced.

However, the Evening Standard suggested the bulk of the benefits were attributable to the original central London zone which launched in April 2019.

So, Should You Actually Close Your Windows During A Heatwave?

Posted on 18/07/2022 by Boris Clair

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!