A bowl of water can help cool a room as the water absorbs heat from the air and turns it into vapour (Image: Claire Schofield)
Households across the UK are being urged to put bowls of water on windowsills on Monday as highs of 33C are forecast.
The Met Office is forecasting gloriously sunny weather for the spring bank holiday, with the heatwave expected to peak on Monday with temperatures reaching 33C in southern England and the Midlands. The hot temperatures will be accompanied by dry and sunny conditions across much of the UK, although some cloud and showers are possible in parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland. The all-time May temperature record currently stands at 32.8C, which was reached in Camden Square on May 22, 1922, and then Horsham, Tunbridge Wells and Regent’s Park on May 29, 1944, and it is expected that temperatures will surpass this on Monday.
With the exceptionally warm weather forecast, keeping your home cool can be difficult and may result in a restless and uncomfortable night’s sleep due to the stuffy conditions. The majority of homes in the UK are designed to provide warmth and if you aren’t lucky enough to have air conditioning, then cooling rooms down quickly is often easier said than done.
But luckily there is a very simple, cost-effective solution to tackle this problem and it simply requires a bowl and some cold water.
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Energy experts recommend placing bowls of cold water around your home, such as on windowsills or worktops, during bouts of warm weather as this can be surprisingly effective in cooling hot air.
A bowl of water – or ice cubes if you have any – can help cool a room as the water absorbs heat from the air and turns it into vapour, which then lowers the overall air temperature in your home.
LEAP Energy Advice said: “Although it may seem peculiar, placing bowls of water around the house can aid in cooling the hot air. This simple technique can be surprisingly effective.!
This method of cooling is especially effective when the bowl of water, or ice, is placed near an open window or in front of a fan as the breeze helps to circulate cold air into your home.
LEAP added: “If you need to cool down quickly, try placing a bowl of ice and cold water in front of your fan’s blades.
“This will cause the air blowing from the fan to pass over the icy water, creating a refreshing sensation on your skin. It’s like having a homemade, DIY air-conditioner!”
Using a fan in combinaton with the bowl of water isn’t essential as the water alone can help to cool the air, but you’ll get better results if you can get that breeze going as well.
Of course, running a fan will have an impact on your energy bills but it’s a fraction of the cost compared to running an air conditioner, which can cost up to 40 times as much, so the pay-off of a refreshingly cool room is arguably worth it.
The tip is backed up by major energy supplier British Gas as a low-cost way to keep your home, and yourself, cool when temperatures warm up.
British Gas said: “While fans aren’t the most expensive appliance to run, using one is still likely to impact your fuel bills – but there are some things you can do to get the most out of the energy you’re paying for.
“To really cool down a room with a fan, place a deep dish of ice in the front of it to whip up the water mist and chill the breeze. You can also point a box fan out of an open window in the evenings – this pushes the hot air out instead of just blowing it around the room.”