Expert reveals simple morning hack to avoid 'heat strain' in 40C temperatures

This week, temperatures across the UK have shattered June heat records, with vast swathes of the country basking in conditions not witnessed since the late summer of 2022, when the mercury surpassed 40C. The heatwave has caused train breakdowns and laid bare more clearly than ever that the UK is ill-equipped to handle such extreme heat as infrastructure begins to buckle.

One nation well-versed in dealing with scorching temperatures is Australia, which routinely experiences intense UV levels and soaring highs. With this in mind, one writer based in Australia has offered Britons a series of tips on how to cope with the heatwave.

Writing in the Guardian, Alyx Gorman suggested one approach is to restructure your daily routine to avoid undertaking strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day, including completing household chores in the early hours of the morning.

He explained: "When hot weather is on the horizon, try to restructure your schedule to avoid strenuous activities during the hottest parts of the day. This should be enough to keep you safe from the heat strain when temperatures are below 35C."

Earlier in the piece, he touched on completing chores not merely before the heat builds, but before sunrise itself.

He said: "It's not a coincidence that Australians are among the world's earliest risers. We try to get up before the temperature does. On hot days, exercising, walking the dog and watering the garden are all best done just after dawn, so set your alarm accordingly."

Alyx is not the only one offering advice on how to cope with the sweltering temperatures, as consumer group Which? has warned people against a common method used to beat the heat.

That method is turning one's shower to the coldest possible setting. While cold showers are frequently used as a means of staying cool during high temperatures, they may not actually be the most effective solution.

The group cautioned that this approach could cause the body to do the complete opposite of what you intend. Rather than releasing heat, the body may instead attempt to retain it, much as it would during the cooler autumn and winter months.

They explained: "Don't be tempted to turn the dial right round to freezing when having a shower. If your body is subjected to extreme cold, it will try to regulate its core temperature by retaining heat.

"This will increase blood flow to your skin to warm it up, making you feel even hotter. Taking a cold shower might make you feel better for a short time, but your best option is using cool or lukewarm water, and then letting yourself air dry rather than towel-drying yourself. The action of water evaporating off your skin will create a cooling effect on the surface of your skin."

These recommendations came following the UK's Met Office announcement that their Red Extreme Heat Warning would remain in place as temperatures continue to stay elevated. The warning, which came into force at 9am on Wednesday morning, will now last until Thursday evening.

In a statement, the Met Office's Chief Forecaster Matthew Lehnert said: "Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we're expecting significant impacts from this heatwave, with health issues likely, even beyond those who are more vulnerable to the heat.

"High humidity is an additional factor for this heatwave which will mean the heat will feel much more potent for many."