Williams and others in the UK are being forced to find creative ways to stay cool during the region’s historic heatwave, where temperatures are expected to reach 40C over the next two days.
“I thought, even if it only lowers the temperature in the house by a few degrees, it’s worth it,” Williams told As It Happens host David Cochrane.
On Monday, the Met Office, the UK’s weather service, issued its first “red” alert in anticipation of heatwaves across the island.
Like most other homes in Britain, the Williams residence does not have air conditioning. After seeing tin foil on a few neighboring houses and doing some online research on the effectiveness of the method, he decided to give it a try – but said it’s far from a perfect solution.
“We’re not really built as a city for that kind of temperature,” Williams said. “This particular city is built to hold heat and it’s built for cold winters, basically, and foggy, foggy autumns and wet springs and summers. It’s not built for this kind of heat wave.”
Gary Williams said he decided to cover some of his home’s windows with aluminum foil after he spotted some neighbors doing the same to protect themselves from the heat. (Submitted by Gary Williams)
This lack of thermal insulation extends beyond England. Elizabeth Carnahan, who lives near Falkirk, Scotland, said the infrastructure in Scotland is not set up for hot weather.
“The houses here are not well ventilated so the air kind of sits,” she wrote in a text message to As It Happens. “It’s not easy to get a cross breeze.”
Along with hanging aluminum foil on the windows, Carnahan turns to other means of cooling without air conditioning — like keeping the shutters closed, applying cold compresses and placing a bottle of iced water in front of a fan.
The Met Office predicts Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could also set new record high temperatures.
Extreme heat disrupts daily life
As someone who grew up in the southern US, Carnahan is no stranger to the heat. However, he said the current weather conditions are the hottest he has experienced in more than two decades of living in Scotland.
“The lack [air conditioning] means we need to make preparations for warm weather. In Alabama, we just turned the thermostat down a little bit.”
Climate experts are warning that global warming has increased the frequency of extreme weather events, with studies showing that UK temperatures are now 10 times more likely to reach 40C than in pre-industrial times.
Extreme heat is already disrupting people’s daily lives in the UK Flights were suspended on Monday at an air base and temporarily at a London airport as high temperatures damaged sections of runways. Train operators have warned passengers to avoid travel, fearing the heat will warp rails and cut power.
Back in London, Williams said he had noticed fewer joggers than usual while out on his morning walk, with people only going out for basic tasks like walking their dogs.
“People seem to be doing what they’re told, which is to stay home,” he told Cochrane.
The heat is expected to persist until Tuesday with the night offering little relief. The Met Office is forecasting “very oppressive” temperatures of 29C at midnight in London.
Meanwhile, Williams plans to spend the evening at the local movie theater in his continued efforts to stay cool. But he said the current crisis is a reminder of the need for long-term climate solutions.
“We’re just going to have to figure out a whole new approach to how we’re going to deal with this kind of heat in this kind of city going forward,” he said.
Written by Olsy Sorokina with files from The Associated Press. Produced by Arman Agbali.
