As the Met Office warns of a heatwave sweeping across southern parts of the UK this week, one housing expert has a simple tip for those struggling to sleep in sweltering upstairs bedrooms: lift the loft hatch.
Oliver Novakovic, Technical and Innovation Director at Barratt Redrow, said the trick allows trapped hot air to rise out of living spaces. “As the hot air rises in your home, it can often get trapped on the second floor, where you may be trying to sleep,” he explained. “Opening the loft hatch during the day can allow the air to rise further and away from your bedroom.”
“Barratt Redrow's Oliver Novakovic advises opening loft hatch as UK faces 34C heatwave.”
The advice comes as temperatures are forecast to hit 33C in southeast England on Wednesday, July 8, and climb to 34C the following day. The Met Office said: “There's a heatwave on the way across southern parts of the UK this coming week.” Its outlook for Wednesday to Friday predicts cloudy and rainy conditions clearing across the north, with “fine and dry elsewhere with plenty of sunny spells and staying hot in the south.”
The scorching daytime temperatures are expected to result in warm, humid conditions overnight for millions across the nation, making rest difficult. Novakovic added that those with a fire-rated loft hatch should remember to close it at night. Opening the hatch at night may also help reduce bedroom temperatures, provided the external air and loft space have cooled down, especially if a window is slightly ajar to boost air circulation.
Users on Mumsnet have reported that their bedrooms feel noticeably cooler when they use the hatch to release warm air, though some on Reddit have cautioned about potential drawbacks. The UK is still recovering from last month’s 40C “heat dome,” and this week’s north-south split is expected to bring rainfall to much of Scotland while the south basks in sunshine.
