While many Brits welcome some sunshine once summer arrives, there’s one aspect that’s frequently dreaded – struggling to sleep through the night.
According to the Met Office, the UK is braced for an amber weather warning on Monday and Tuesday (June 22 and 23) — while the weekend could see heatweave conditions with possible highs of 33 °C in the coming days.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Gregory Wolverson said that “while temperatures may be high, we might not all see the wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies we experienced back in May”.
With warmer conditions approaching, many will be pondering similar questions – why is my home so hot at night and how can I cool down my bedroom?
Why is my house hot?
There are numerous reasons why our homes can feel warmer at night, including when we shut windows and blinds during the day to keep out the sun. While this appears logical, if you then leave them closed overnight, the daytime heat becomes trapped inside, meaning the air remains warm without a breeze or airflow.
Another frequent culprit is inadequate insulation or ventilation in your loft, resulting in hot air becoming trapped there following a hot day. This will gradually move downwards through ceilings at night, making your upstairs bedrooms feel especially stifling.
During heatwaves, our properties absorb heat, but due to thermal lag, materials such as brick, concrete, wood or plasterboard don’t cool down straight away once the sun sets. Rather, the warmth is retained and gradually released back into your rooms, typically reaching peak discomfort while you’re trying to sleep.
Another factor is household appliances, from refrigerators and televisions to dishwashers, which constantly emit ambient heat into your living areas.
How long will hot weather last?
Met Office experts have predicted the heatwave will carry on until well into next week.
The peak and most extreme days are expected to be on Monday and Tuesday and the chief forecaster said: “While heatwave criteria will be met for some in the south and southeast of England over the weekend, with temperatures into the low 30s Celsius possible, the warmth will expand and intensify at the start of next week, which, coupled with high temperatures overnight, leads to potential impacts.”
The heatwave should regress after Tuesday but some parts in the south and east will have hotter temperatures for longer.
Due to this, there is chances of “isolated thundery downpours”. It is set to be even warmer on Thursday with Cardiff expecting 29C temperatures and Swansea 28C.
The heatwave is predicted to continue all the way until next Friday where Monmouth may see temperatures reach up to 29C.
Comments are closed.