There’s always going to be questions about warm weather when it comes - mainly because we're not used to it!
So, when it gets really hot in the UK, online searches and on socials are flooded with questions about everything from how to sleep comfortably during a hot night to what you can do to stay cool without air conditioning.
BBC Bitesize Other Side of the Story spoke to the Met Office, the UK’s official body on all things weather-related, to find the answers to a few of your questions.
What is a heatwave?
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is when we get temperatures higher than expected for the time of year, over an extended period. It’s a little bit complicated to explain. It depends on the threshold temperature for your area - the maximum temperature used to determine whether conditions qualify as a heatwave. These thresholds vary by region, ranging from 25°C to 28°C, and were updated in 2022 to reflect the impacts of climate change.
- 25C: Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England, Wales, South West England
- 26C to 28C: Central and South East England
If we have three days in a row of an area’s maximum recorded temperature meeting - or exceeding - the threshold temperature, then it’s a heatwave. For example, if Glasgow’s highest recorded temperatures over three days were 26C, 25C and 27C, this would officially be a heatwave as the threshold temperature is 25C. If those same temperatures were recorded in the middle of London, it wouldn’t be a heatwave - as the threshold there is 28C.
How do I sleep during a heatwave?
It’s not always easy to drift off when the nights are warmer. Socials are full of tips of how to get to sleep when the heat seems unbearable, ranging from taking a cool shower before going to bed to putting pyjamas in the freezer. Is this genuinely good advice or an example of misinformation?
The Met Office gave BBC Bitesize the following advice.
- Use lightweight bedding and sleep in the coolest room
- Open windows at night and use a fan to improve airflow
- Take a cool shower before bed to lower body temperature
The cool shower tip was shared on socials, but nothing in the Met Office advice about chilled pyjamas. While there’s nothing to say that tip won’t work, it’s always best to follow advice from trusted experts such as the Met Office, who do their research before sharing tips with the public.
How can I keep cool without air conditioning?
In countries like the USA and Australia, it’s not unusual for homes to have air conditioning. It’s not really a thing in the UK as extreme hot weather is rare. This can make it tricky to cool the house down in hot weather.
The Met Office advice on keeping the temperature down indoors includes:
- Close any blinds and curtains during the day and keep the house ventilated at night
- Drink plenty of fluids during the day and make sure you stay hydrated
- Eat food that has a lot of water, such as cucumber and watermelon
- Avoid the peak of the sunny weather, between 11am and 3pm, and wear light and loose clothing
Are heatwaves part of climate change?
Research by the Met Office has shown that climate change is making heatwaves more likely.
A following the UK’s 2018 heatwave found there is now a greater than 10% chance of experiencing a summer with similar, or even higher temperatures again. Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which are driving climate change, are causing temperatures to increase around the world. The same study found that heatwaves could occur every other year by the 2050s.
You may see posts on socials that climate change is a myth, or that heatwaves are just part of the usual summer weather. This is an example of fake news or disinformation, where people deliberately share false information to fit with their view. If you apply critical thinking and carry out proper fact-checking, you can see that climate change is real.
This article was published in May 2026
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