UK HOUSEHOLDS ADVISED TO USE BOWLS OF WATER TO COOL HOMES DURING HEATWAVE

The UK faces its fourth heatwave this week, with some parts of southern England expected to reach temperatures of 32°C to 33°C. A yellow heat alert remains in effect from Tuesday 9am to Friday 9am across the East and West Midlands, South-east, South-west, East of England, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Energy experts at the Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) have advised households to place bowls of water on windowsills at night to help lower indoor temperatures. The technique is described by LEAP as "surprisingly effective" for homes without air conditioning, which remain uncommon across the UK.

The method works through evaporative cooling: as warm air passes over water, the water absorbs heat and slowly evaporates, cooling the surrounding air. Adding ice cubes to the bowl enhances the effect, whilst positioning an electric fan to point directly at the bowl speeds up evaporation and distributes cooled air throughout the room. LEAP recommends placing bowls of water near open windows or in front of fans, where moving air helps circulate the cooler air more effectively. Many UK homes are designed to retain heat, making them difficult to cool naturally during periods of high temperature, and most households rely on fans or frozen hot water bottles to stay comfortable at night.

Wildfires continue to burn across parts of the UK as the dry weather persists. Emergency crews are tackling blazes in Wales, and homes were evacuated after a fire swept through Cairngorms National Park, which Police Scotland declared a major incident. Wales has received just 5% of its usual rainfall for July following a string of heatwaves and a dry spring, with North Wales and the Upper Severn among the first areas to declare drought status.