Households warned to switch on oven extractor fan for next two days (2024)

Oven extractor fans can be used to cool down your house (Image: Getty)

While parts of the UK are preparing for thunder and lightning storms which could cause power cuts, other areas are still sweltering under heatwave conditions.

And for the next two days many parts of the country are still going to be feeling the heat as they pray for thunder and lightning to wash away the hot weather at last.

But until then, households will be looking for ways to cool their house down and beat the hot weather.

While some use fans and others are lucky enough to have aircon, many will be resorting to workarounds to try to cool off their hot and insulated British homes.

READ MORE: British Gas warns everyone with milk in fridge ‘freeze it’ this week

One tip, shared by British Gas, says you can double up your kitchen’s extractor fan and use it as a way to cool your house.

The firm said: “Extractors don’t just get rid of smells and steam – during hot weather they can be put to double use.

“Open your internal doors and leave your bathroom and kitchen fans running for a while to rid your home of some of the excess heat. Don’t forget to shut the doors when you switch the fan off!”

While extractor fans take many shapes and sizes, they are most commonly seen in kitchens in extractor hoods over the oven hob.

Simply switching this on when you’re in the kitchen could help cool your home.

It also urged customers to close doors, and to pop towels over settees and sofas.

British Gas added: “If you’re using a fan, closing off unused rooms during the day will keep the house cool in summer by focusing your cooling efforts where you’ll feel them the most. Similarly, opening your doors in the evening will get the air flowing and stop your home feeling stuffy.

“Sick of sticking to leather sofas? Cool it down by putting a lightweight throw or sheet made of natural fibres over it. You don’t need to buy pricey new soft furnishings – you can improvise with a bed sheet, and it will do the job just as well. Breathable fabrics – like cotton and linen – will always keep you more comfortable when it’s warm.”

The Met Office says the weather will turn a lot more mixed towards the end of the week, with temperatures dropping across the board on Thursday, bringing an end to this spell of hot conditions for now.

It said: "A spell of wet and windy weather moves through on Thursday. Drier towards the end of the week with some showers and strong winds at times in the north."