Heatwaves are not a curiosity anymore. They are a recurring feature of the British summer, and they are getting worse.
For flat-dwellers, the problem is particularly acute. Warm air rises, so the higher your flat, the hotter it gets. Most of the UK’s housing stock was built to retain heat, not shed it. And unlike a house, a flat often offers limited options: you may have windows on one side only, no outdoor space, and neighbours above, below, and to either side adding their own heat to the building. Air conditioning is rarely fitted and not always practical to install.
None of this means you’re stuck sweating it out. There are practical, low-cost steps that make a genuine difference.
Get Your Windows Right
This is the single most effective thing you can do, and most people get it backwards. The instinct is to throw windows open when it’s hot. In the middle of the day, that’s usually the wrong call.
Keep windows and curtains closed in any room that faces the sun during daylight hours. If the air outside is hotter than the air inside, opening a window simply lets the heat in. The goal is to hold the cooler air you already have. Open windows when the outdoor temperature drops below the indoor temperature — typically in the early morning and again after dark.
Light-coloured curtains or blinds made from a heavier fabric do the most to block radiant heat through the glass. Keep them drawn on the sun-facing side throughout the hottest part of the day.
Create Airflow When It Counts
Once the temperature outside falls — usually from around 9pm onwards in a heatwave — open windows on opposite sides of your flat to draw cooler air through.
A fan alone just moves warm air around, but positioned near an open window in the cooler evening hours, it pulls that fresher air in more effectively.
Use a Fan Smarter
Place a bowl or container of ice in front of the fan so the air passes across it before reaching you. Alternatively, hang a damp cloth over the front of the fan, making sure it’s well wrung out so it doesn’t drip. Both work on the same principle: evaporative cooling.
Cool Your Body, Not Just the Room
Waiting for the flat to cool down is a slow process. Cooling yourself directly is faster and uses less energy.
A tepid shower — not cold — is effective. Very cold water causes the body to constrict blood vessels near the skin, which can actually trap heat internally. Tepid water keeps circulation open while still drawing heat away from the body.
Applying something cold to your wrists, ankles, or the back of your neck works well because blood vessels sit close to the surface in those spots. A chilled water bottle wrapped in a cloth, or an icepack used with a barrier to protect the skin, both do the job.
If the air feels heavy and damp as well as hot, a dehumidifier can help. High humidity makes it harder for sweat to evaporate, which is the body’s main cooling mechanism. Drier air feels noticeably cooler even at the same temperature.
Sleep
The hardest part of a heatwave for most people is sleep. Bedrooms on upper floors are typically the worst-affected rooms in any flat.
A few things help. Keep the bedroom dark and sealed during the day. Swap heavy duvets for a single cotton sheet. Put your pillowcase in a sealed bag in the freezer for an hour before bed. Open windows as soon as the outdoor air cools, and position a fan to draw air across the bed rather than directly at your face.
Know When to Take It Seriously
The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office issue Heat Health Alerts during periods of significant heat, colour-coded from yellow through to red. Yellow alerts flag conditions that may affect vulnerable people: older adults, young children, and anyone with an underlying health condition. If you or someone in your household falls into those groups, it’s worth checking alert status during warm spells and knowing when to seek cooler spaces, such as air-conditioned shops or public libraries.
Heatwaves in England are expected to become more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting as the climate continues to warm. The practical steps above are worth knowing well rather than rediscovering each summer.
If you’re thinking about your next move in South West London and want to understand how a property’s aspect, floor level, or building type might affect how it performs in summer, the team at Avrasons is happy to talk it through. Reach out via our contact page to start the conversation.
