Scientist settles whether hot or cold drinks can cool you down in UK heatwave

Scientist settles whether hot or cold drinks can cool you down in UK heatwave Temperatures are on the rise again, with some places set to see 35 degrees later this week. Obomate Briggs of the NewScientist outlined six straightforward methods to prevent yourself from getting too hot The previous heatwave seems like it's barely finished, and another one's already heading our way. Weather experts are predicting temperatures could reach 35 degrees in certain areas of the UK this week, with London and Kent expected to experience the hottest conditions. Even northern regions could witness between 25 and 30 degrees, according to Netweather.tv. Looking ahead to Wednesday and beyond, Nick Finnis from Netweather.tv stated: "Hot again for southern, central and eastern England - temperatures reaching 30 to 33 degrees, mid to high 20s elsewhere across England and Wales. It looks increasingly like it could turn even hotter across the southern half of England and Wales on Thursday and Friday, as we start to draw a southeasterly flow off a hot near continent along with higher humidity too, so we could see temperatures reach 35 degrees across southern England, and perhaps 33 degrees as far north as the Vale of York." In a bid to assist people in staying cool, Obomate Briggs of the NewScientist outlined six straightforward methods to prevent yourself from getting too hot, reports the Express. Beginning the video on TikTok, she cautioned "There are 27 ways a heatwave can kill you", continuing: "So here's how to actually stay cool." 1: Drink hot drinks "Drink hot drinks," she explained. "I know this sounds counterintuitive, but drinking hot drinks will make you sweat, and the heat lost by sweating is more than enough to compensate for the heat gained." 2: Avoid caffeine She added: "But stay away from caffeine. It's much better to have a herbal tea or weak black teas. Caffeine increases metabolic heat and is a diuretic, so will make you pee more, which will dehydrate you." 3: Avoid large meals Obomate also suggested steering clear of large meals high in protein and fats. "This is because it takes super long to digest, diverting blood to the intestines and less to the surface of the skin where it can lose heat to the environment," she explained. 4: Make a makeshift air conditioner If you're still finding it difficult, Obomate shared a straightforward trick to transform an ordinary fan into a "makeshift air conditioner. "Put a tub of ice behind your fan," she advised. "In this extreme heat, a fan basically acts like a fan-assisted oven, just blowing hot air around. But if you put a tub of ice behind, it kind of forms a bit of a makeshift air conditioner." This method works because fans draw air from behind them and push it forward. If the air behind the fan is chilled by ice, it will be cooler when it circulates. 5: Put your hands and feet in icy water Obamate went on: "Speaking of ice, putting your hands and feet into icy water will help a ton, as they have many capillaries which can act as radiators, cooling you down." Capillaries are minuscule blood vessels - if the blood within them is cooled, it will subsequently lower your body temperature as it circulates throughout. 6: Take a cold shower before bed Obomate went on to explain that UK homes aren't built to keep heat out, and consequently, "sleeping can be a bit of a challenge". "We recommend taking a cold shower before bed," she advised. "This will increase your body's capacity to take on a heat load during the night and help you sleep, which is important because the lack of sleep affects your thermoregulatory system, and so it can become a bit of a vicious cycle." Wrapping up, Obomate added: "We hope these tips were helpful. Enjoy this rare sun. Stay safe." Locations where it will be hotter than30 degrees this week The following locations are anticipated to experience temperatures surpassing 30 degrees this week: - West Sussex: 33 degrees - East Sussex: 33 degrees - London: 33 degrees - Surrey: 33 degrees - Kent: 33 degrees - Oxford: 32 degrees - Gloucester: 32 degrees - Dorset: 31 degrees - Somerset: 31 degrees - Cambridge: 31 degrees - Leicester: 31 degrees - South Yorkshire: 31 degrees Scotland and Northern Ireland aren't expected to be quite as warm as the remainder of the UK, with highs around the mid-20s predicted by Netweather.tv. The Met Office's weather outlook between Wednesday and Friday states: "Cloudy and rain start to clear across the north with some outbreaks across western Scotland. Fine and dry elsewhere with plenty of sunny spells and staying hot in the south."