THERE’s a little-known hack to keep your bedroom cool at night as temperatures rocket to a sweltering 29C this week.
Householders are being advised to keep their attic loft hatch open over the coming days amid the heatwave.
Temperatures are set to soar across Scotland this weekend[/caption]
Leaving attic hatches open can helps cool down properties during hot weather[/caption]
The Met Office is warning that parts of Scotland could reach over 30C tomorrow, with uncomfortably balmy overnight temperatures.
Glasgow is forecast to be 30C tomorrow, but the weather service anticipates some western areas of the country could reach a scorching 32C.
Sunday will remain warm but the mercury will drop off across Scotland.
As the temperatures are set to reach sweltering highs, it’s important to know how you can keep cool.
Often, excessive heat can keep us up at night, taking away our important sleep.
But there’s a little tip that can help with that.
By leaving your attic hatch open in the leadup to a heatwave, you can actually reduce the amount of hot air held in your bedrooms that prevents you from sleeping.
When a house heats up, the warm air most often gets stuck on the second floor.
This is where most bedrooms are, so they tend to be the hottest.
By opening your attic hatch, you are allowing air to rise higher, leading it away from your bedrooms.
This can help to bring the overall temperatures down, allowing you to sleep peacefully.
This was found by experts at the University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0, which is home to the most expansive climate simulation chamber in the world.
They have partnered with Barratt Redrow to explore how households can combat the hot summers brought on by global warming.
Oliver Novakovic, from Barratt and David Wilson Homes, said: “The country is seeing more frequent and intense weather extremes due to climate change.
“As part of this, there is an increasing risk of overheating, even during cooler summers, which has a detrimental effect on wellbeing.
“We’re working with the University of Salford to test new technologies alongside simple methods of reducing overheating and improving air quality, so the homes that are built in the next 10 or even 50 years can cope with rising temperatures.”
He also recommends keeping curtains and windows closed until temperatures outside start to cool down to prevent hot air entering, and switching to low-energy LED lightbulbs as they produce less heat.
Keeping electricals off is a win in two ways, as not only does it reduce heat buildup, but it can also bring down your energy bills.
And if you have to use bigger appliances like washing machines and dryers, try to use them when it’s coolest outside to prevent more heat building up.
