For climate change sceptics, the recent heatwaves have served as an uncomfortable new chapter in the UK’s relationship with extreme weather. Most climate scientists and politicians expect the UK to get these types of extreme weather events much more regularly, and not just in the summer.
As reported by Sky News, the country saw record high temperatures in July, hitting 40.3C in Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
People were sweltering and the Met Office issued a red weather warning, meaning that it was advising people to stay indoors and take precautions to protect themselves from heat exhaustion, heatstroke or more severe health issues from the blazing sun.
Now, most outlets are reporting that the temperature record could be broken once again this month, with Chronicle reporting last week that “James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said: “Confidence is starting to build for another blast of very hot weather during the start of next month . It remains to be seen from model runs nearer the time whether temperatures will edge towards the record heat we have seen this week.
“In the meantime, there are signs of another heat surge at the weekend with temperatures, particularly across the south, lifting back into the 30Cs.”
The Met Office’s long range forecast is a bit more conservative. But it suggests another heatwave could spread from the south of England to the North East.”
How to beat the heat in a rental property
Many of those in rental properties aren’t able to make fundamental changes to their home to cope in more extreme heat, so we’ve put together some tips for you to be able to beat the heat in a rental property and make things a little more bearable if the temperature spikes again.
To try and keep your indoors cool, the first thing to consider is turning off unnecessary lights and electrical equipment that can raise the temperature of the property such as washing machines, kettles, toasters and other smaller electrical items.
Secondly, rather than opening curtains, it may be better to close them between the hottest the times of the day when the sun is on that part of the house, usually between 11am and 3pm.
If you have access to reflective items or surfaces that you can place between windows and blinds or curtains, that’s even better as it’s reflecting the heat back outside.
Another good tip is to have a good number of indoor plants in your home to soak up the heat and cool the room with shade. They’re not just useful in terms of looking good and good for the environment, they can also cool your property.
More extreme weather is also likely to lead to further demand for modern properties that can deal with the heat better, as well as properties with gardens and more accessible open space.
If you’re considering moving and want to take a look at more suitable properties, why not take a look through our available properties here and get in touch with your local Intus branch today so you can speak to us about your requirements?
