The UK is forecast to be hit by temperatures as high as 40C this week, and experts have shared the best times to open and close your windows to keep your house cool

With Britain sweltering in another scorching heatwave, discussion has once more shifted to whether folk should keep their windows open or shut to combat the heat.

Weather forecasters predict that temperatures across parts of the nation could soar as high as 40C this week, which would shatter the all-time June record that has stood for half a century.

The Met Office issued a rare red alert warning for Wednesday (June 24) and Thursday for certain areas of the country, signifying that hazardous weather is expected with a significant likelihood of risk to life.

With this in mind, people are frantically attempting to stay cool, but should you open your windows or keep them shut?

According to specialists, that very much depends on how the outside temperature compares to the conditions inside your home, reports the Express.

The experts at SCI Windows say: “There is lots of advice available on the internet, but the general rule is: open the windows if house temperature is greater than outside temperature. Otherwise keep them closed to keep the cool air inside, as long as possible.”

They suggest keeping the windows open at night when feasible and also first thing in the morning, before the temperature begins to climb again.

They added: “Letting air circulate around the house is easily the best method of keeping inside temperatures down. By doing this, you should be able to create a flow of air, then cold air can be pushed through each room.”

Alan Reid, windows specialist at Art Windows and Doors, informed the Manchester Evening News that households should begin opening their windows at 8pm when outdoor temperatures begin to fall.

UK housebuilder and Ty Eco owner John Small believes windows ought to be closed around 9am in the morning when temperatures begin climbing again, according to Border Counties Advertiser.

Leaving windows open overnight brings some clear security concerns. Homeowners are recommended to check whether your windows feature a night vent lock (or ‘night latch’).

Numerous contemporary UK double-glazing systems enable you to secure the window while it remains slightly ajar by roughly an inch. It’s not as effective as a fully-open window, but it will still permit that essential night-time thermal exchange to occur safely while you sleep.

According to Dr Ben Roberts, an expert in building performance and indoor environments at Loughborough University, who explained how vital it is to manage our properties during warm weather.

He stated: “With overheating, it’s a simple heat balance problem. We have too much heat going in – and not enough heat going out.

“The sun’s heat comes through windows, hot air infiltrates from outside, and even everyday activities like cooking, watching TV or running appliances all generate heat inside the home.

“Many people open their windows during the heat of the day, thinking it helps – but it actually does the opposite. During the day, your home can be a cool battery. The last thing you want to do is bring in hot air.

“Instead, windows should stay closed during the day, with reflective blinds or light-coloured curtains drawn on the sunny side of the house. Then, when it cools down in the evening, that’s the time to open your windows and let the cooler air in.”

A Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 13:46 on Monday, 22nd June, following reports of an RTC on the Crumlin Road area, Belfast.

“NIAS dispatched 1 Emergency Ambulance, two HART Teams and an Advanced Practitioner.

“Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one person was taken to Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast by Ambulance.”

Gabby Logan was taken aback as she conversed with fellow BBC broadcaster Mark Chapman on their podcast

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Gabby Logan was stunned to discover that fellow broadcaster and podcast co-host Mark Chapman will not be covering the World Cup 2026 final.

Logan will front the BBC’s coverage of the showpiece event, becoming the first woman to do so. Both she and Chapman are British sports broadcasting royalty with a combined 60-plus years of television experience.

When Gary Lineker stepped away from hosting the BBC staple Match of the Day last year, the pair, alongside Kelly Cates, were named as his successors. At the World Cup, the trio have been passing the baton around when it comes to covering the competition for the BBC from their base in Salford.

Chapman, who continues as the lead host of 5 Live Sport on the radio, works across both formats. Logan will be on her lonesome when the final rolls around, with Cates in the United States covering the game live from the stadium for radio, and Chapman at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

However, Logan wasn’t quite aware of these arrangements. Both Chapman and Logan have hosted The Sports Agents podcast together since 2024 and during the latest episode, they touched on the topic of the final.

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After England’s convincing 4-2 win over Croatia, the duo, who admitted they got ahead of themselves, discussed their plans for the final with the possibility of the Three Lions reaching it. Logan asked on the pod: “Are you already kind of working out where you’re going to watch the World Cup final? Because you’re working on it, aren’t you?”

Chapman replied: “No, I’m not. No, I’m not,” which took his co-host off guard. She then questioned: “Are you doing radio?” To which Chapman revealed: “No, I’ll be at the golf.”

Logan muttered an, “Oh, God,” before Chapman continued: “I’m doing The Open golf that weekend, and then I will drive back from The Open golf listening to Kelly and the build-up on the radio and then I’ll catch some of you on the telly.”

Whilst the BBC lost the rights to broadcast The Open in 2016, Radio 5 Live still retains the rights to broadcast full, ball-by-ball radio coverage, and so Chapman will head to Southport next month to lead this.

The major championship was first shown on the BBC in 1955 and it found a home on its TV channels for 60 consecutive years before Sky Sports took over a decade ago.

Continuing their conversation, Logan added: “You’re going to be at the golf? My gosh. That could be an extraordinary day, couldn’t it? I think they might change their tee-off times if England are in a World Cup final.”

Chapman replied: “They could bring it forward a bit. Normally, it finishes between 6pm and 7pm. I would imagine if England or Scotland are in the final, they may want it to finish between 5pm and 6pm.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The Supreme Court has reinstated a murder conviction in the 1979 disappearance of six-year-old Etan Patz.

The justices, by a 6-3 vote, granted an appeal Monday from New York prosecutors who had urged them to undo a federal appeals court decision that overturned the verdict. The three liberal justices dissented.

Prosecutors had been preparing to try Pedro Hernandez for a third time. His first trial ended in a mistrial.

The unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed Hernandez’ murder and kidnapping conviction in the second trial because of how the judge had answered a question from jurors.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had called the basis for overturning the conviction “a slender reed” that essentially ignored a five-month-long trial with 66 witnesses.

The justices agreed, in an unsigned opinion, that federal courts should not second-guess state courts under a 1996 federal law that was intended to reduce federal court oversight of state criminal trials.

“The Second Circuit exceeded its authority in holding that Hernandez is entitled to relief,” the court wrote, referring to the New York-based appeals court,

Hernandez, 64, has been serving a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Hernandez admitted to the crime under police questioning, but his lawyers say he confessed falsely because of a mental illness that sometimes made him hallucinate. They emphasized that the admission came after police queried him for about seven hours before reading him his rights and recording the interview. Hernandez then repeated his confession on tape, at least twice.

Etan vanished while walking to his downtown Manhattan school bus stop on May 25, 1979. Hernandez worked at a nearby convenience shop at the time, but the Maple Shade, New Jersey, resident didn’t become a suspect until 2012.

Etan was among the first missing children ever to appear on milk cartons, and the anniversary of his disappearance became National Missing Children’s Day.

Hernandez already has been tried twice. A jury deadlocked in 2015, and then a different panel of jurors convicted him at a 2017 retrial.

During deliberations, the 2017 jurors asked a complicated question: If they decided Hernandez didn’t confess voluntarily when he hadn’t been read his rights yet, must they disregard his other confessions? The then-judge responded simply, “the answer is no.” The jury went on to convict.

In overturning that verdict, the appeals court said the jury’s question should have gotten a more fulsome answer, including the possibility of discounting all the confessions.

TV doctor Dr Amir Khan has shared a warning about iron deficiency anaemia

A GP has advised people to seek medical attention if they spot an unusual sign in their fingernails. This could indicate an iron deficiency.

Iron plays a vital role in producing red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body. The mineral can be obtained from foods including red meat, beans, and nuts.

However, despite maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, you may still find yourself lacking in iron, which can lead to iron deficiency anaemia. In a video posted to his Instagram page, medical expert Doctor Amir Khan provided further insight.

Dr Amir, who is widely recognised for his appearances on ITV, explained: “Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common type of anaemia. It happens when your body doesn’t have enough iron to make haemoglobin..

“Now that’s the substance in your red blood cells that allows them to carry oxygen throughout your body. Now, normally, your body brings in a steady flow of iron from the food that you eat.

“Your body stores excess iron so it’s available as needed to make haemoglobin but if you are not getting enough iron or it’s being lost faster than it’s being replaced, you will become deficient in iron.”

He listed some of the causes of iron deficiency anaemia. “There are lots of different causes but common ones include not getting enough iron in your diet, losing it through things like heavy periods – ladies, heavy periods are not normal, get them sorted with your clinician – gut illnesses like coeliac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease,” Dr Amir said.

“And in some cases, iron deficiency anaemia can be a sign of underlying cancer.”

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Symptom in the nails

According to Dr Amir, one sign you could be deficient in iron will appear in your fingernails. This could cause them to become brittle or spoon-shaped.

He said: “Your nails are brittle or spoon-shaped. This condition is called koilonychia

“Your nails look concave, like spoons instead of growing flat.” Experts at the Cleveland Clinic add that you might also develop an indentation in your nail.

This will be “deep enough” to hold a drop of water on your nail bed. They said: “Most often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anaemia.”

However, it could also be the result of diabetes, heart disease, or an underactive thyroid among other issues.

Other symptoms

Dr Amir shared other symptoms to look out for. These include fatigue.

He said: “Now remember iron helps your body make the red pigment in your blood that carries oxygen to all your organs.

If you don’t have enough iron, you won’t be able to carry as much oxygen around your body, depriving it of vital energy making you tired.”

You might also have shortness of breath and chest pain. He continued: “Now when haemoglobin, the red pigment in your blood cells, are low with iron deficiency, oxygen levels are typically low.

“This means that your muscles will receive enough oxygen to do everyday activities such as walking. As a result, your breathing rate will increase as your body tries to get more oxygen in, resulting in shortness of breath.

“Your heart is also working harder to put what oxygen you have around your body and an unhappy hard-working heart will tell you it’s unhappy by giving you chest pain.”

You could also experience sores in the corners of your mouth, and restless leg syndrome, he said.

What to do if you have symptoms

He advised upping your iron intake, but also speaking to a professional if you have concerns. Dr Amir added: “Now, good sources of iron in our food include liver or red meat, shellfish, or if you’re vegetarian, legumes and pumpkin seeds are great.

“But if you’re worried, always speak to a healthcare professional.” On the NHS website, it says you should see a GP if you think you might have iron deficiency anaemia.

Britons have been warned of a risk to life “for even the healthy population” after a rare red weather warning for extreme heat was issued for parts of the UK.

With temperatures forecast to reach up to 40C on Wednesday, the AA said drivers could see gritters out on roads and cautioned that the heat could put extra strain on vehicles.

The UK Health Security Agency also issued red heat health alerts for the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, and South West.

Sweltering heat is expected until at least Thursday, with the Met Office expecting the record for the hottest June temperature to be smashed.

The Met Office’s red weather warning, which stretches from London across to Somerset and Swansea and up towards Birmingham, comes into force at 9am on Wednesday and will be lifted at 9pm on Thursday.

“An exceptional spell of hot and humid weather is expected across this region, with impacts to the general population highly likely,” the weather agency said.

The heatwave could bring disruptions to rail, road and air travel with National Rail advising travellers to check their journeys in advance.

By working on development proposals for a site on the doorstep of their campus, aspiring architectural technologists are translating theory into practice in a truly meaningful way.

Students at New College Lanarkshire are gaining hands-on industry experience thanks to a collaboration with Ravenscraig Limited.

By working on development proposals for a site on the doorstep of their campus, aspiring architectural technologists are translating theory into practice in a truly meaningful way.

As part of their Graded Unit 2, HND computer aided architectural design and technology students were tasked with creating a master plan for Plot E7, a key development site located adjacent to the college’s Motherwell campus at Ravenscraig.

The brief challenged students to design a hotel and retail/leisure-led scheme.

To support the students, a panel of industry professionals visited the college to review initial concepts and provide feedback.

Attendees included Russell Wilkie, director at Ravenscraig Limited, Ricky MacDonald and Heather MacSween from Keppie Design and Michael Smart, development director for Crucible Developments.

Following the initial presentations and feedback, students refined their ideas, developing three concept proposals each before taking one final concept into a detailed hotel design.

Keppie Design hosted a prize giving ceremony at their Glasgow office, where the top three students were awarded with Amazon vouchers from Ravenscraig.

Poppy McCubbing secured £500 for first place, Colin Campbell was awarded £150 for second place and Myles McDougall was recognised with £100 for third place.

The project has provided students with valuable real-world insight, including a tour of the college’s plant rooms to better understand the technical and spatial requirements needed within their designs.

Drawing inspiration from Ravenscraig’s industrial heritage as a former steelworks, some students incorporated metal cladding to echo oxidised steel, while others introduced curved façades symbolising the flow of molten metal.

Sustainability also played a central role in inspiring several proposals, with biophilic design features such as living walls, green roofs, and landscaped surroundings integrated into their concepts.

Additional design elements across the projects included rooftop terraces, spa and gym facilities, skylights, and bold architectural forms, demonstrating both creativity and a strong understanding of contemporary hotel design.

Christopher Moore, principal and chief executive of New College Lanarkshire, said: “Projects like this are invaluable in preparing our students for the realities of the industry.

“Working on a live development site such as Ravenscraig gives them the opportunity to apply their learning in a meaningful way, while engaging directly with leading professionals.

“We are proud of the creativity, professionalism and ambition our students have demonstrated throughout this project.”

Russell Wilkie, director at Ravenscraig Limited, added: “It’s been fantastic to see the level of thought, innovation and enthusiasm the students have brought to this project.

“Ravenscraig has a rich history and an exciting future as we deliver the masterplan.

“The site the students focused on is designated to retail and leisure and it’s inspiring to see the next generation of designers contributing creative ideas for what this might be.

“Initiatives like this are a great example of how industry can collaborate with education to help inspire and shape talent for the future.”

Ricky MacDonald, director of Keppie Design, said: “Working with the students has been a really rewarding process, particularly seeing how they respond to professional critique and develop their ideas.

“This project has given students a genuine insight into that evolving design process.

“The standard of thinking has been impressive, especially in how they’ve balanced creativity with practical considerations like buildability, user experience and sustainability.”

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Rod Dennis, road safety spokesperson at RAC, has urged drivers to take the red extreme heat warnings seriously this week as he warned that there could be a record number of breakdowns this week.

He said: “Drivers whose vehicles don’t have effective air conditioning should strongly consider postponing any non-essential car journeys until the Met Office’s weather warnings are lifted and temperatures drop.

“If this isn’t possible, our best advice is to travel during cooler times of day. This is especially important for anyone travelling with vulnerable people, including young children and older adults, who are at greater risk from the intense heat. We’d also remind motorists never to leave pets inside a hot vehicle, as doing so can quickly become fatal.”

He added that the RAC expects breakdown volumes on Monday to be 20% higher than what’s normal for a Monday in late June and advised drivers to pack an emergency breakdown kit.

He said: “This week could end up being a record-breaking one for June – not just because of the heat, but also for the number of drivers breaking down. The heatwave will affect services right across the UK and while all patrols will be working incredibly hard to assist drivers, longer waits are more likely.”

Mr Dennis also said drivers can reduce the risk of breakdowns with a few basic checks, including making sure oil levels are sufficient while coolant levels sit between the “min” and “max” markers.

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