UK households urged to put bowl of water on windowsills at night this week

UK households urged to put bowl of water on windowsills at night this week It may sound simple, but it's 'surprisingly effective', according to experts With the UK facing its fourth heatwave this week, people across the country are preparing by buying fans, ice cream, and cold drinks. Some parts of southern England may reach highs of 32°C to 33°C. A yellow heat alert is in effect from Tuesday, 9am to Friday, 9am for regions including the East and West Midlands, South-east, South-west, East of England, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Keeping cool is challenging in the UK, where few homes have air conditioning. As a result, many rely on fans or frozen hot water bottles at night. Staying cool at night can be even harder, especially since most UK homes are designed to retain heat, making it difficult to sleep comfortably during a heatwave. However, there's a simple solution you can try: placing a bowl of water on your windowsill. Households across the UK are being encouraged to put bowls of water on their windowsills at night this week to help combat the heat. Energy experts at the Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) call this technique "surprisingly effective." They explain that placing bowls of water around the house can help cool hot air, providing a simple yet effective way to lower temperatures indoors. How does it work? When you place a bowl of water on your windowsill, the water absorbs heat from the air passing over it and slowly evaporates. This process cools the air and helps lower the indoor temperature as the cooled air circulates inside. The process is known as evaporative cooling. Adding ice cubes to the bowl can enhance the cooling effect, as the colder water absorbs more heat. Pointing an electric fan directly at the bowl speeds up evaporation and pushes the cooled air across your room. LEAP experts say this cooling trick works best when you put a bowl of water or ice near an open window or in front of a fan, as moving air helps distribute cooler air throughout your home. For a quick way to cool off, they suggest setting a bowl filled with ice and cold water in front of your fan. As the fan blows air over the icy water, it produces a cooling breeze, giving you a "homemade, DIY air-conditioner". Instagram user Samsmith1986, with over 2,000 followers, also recommends this hack, calling it a "simple life hack that can really make a difference." In a video on Instagram during the heatwave in June, he said: "You have to try this if you can't sleep during this heatwave. Grab yourself a bowl of cold water. Place it on the windowsill at night time. "Now, the cold water draws in the heat and converts it into vapour. How cool is that?" The video was inundated with comments. One user replied: "Just tried this now and it's defo cooled the room." While another recommended: "Put a bowl of cold water behind an electric fan. As it evaporates, the fan blows the cold vapour at you! It's fabulous!" Although this method can help, it generally offers only modest relief compared to air conditioning. In humid conditions or when there is little airflow, its effectiveness may be limited.