Temperature & Sunlight
Higher temperatures
The seasonal average temperatures in the UK tend to rise because of the changing
climate and those in the top 10 per cent of the seasonal temperature range will
experience much hotter days. According to Projections, by 2080s, the hottest
summer days could be up to 7 °C warmer than the current temperature.
Cities may face even hotter temperatures, known as the ‘urban heat island’
effect, because of their hard surfaces and dense populations. As a result, the
city of London may end up as much as 7 °C warmer than the surrounding countryside.
Extreme summer heat waves could also occur more often and could expect one
day each summer to reach 31°C in the South East. By 2080s as many as 10
days may reach or exceed this temperature, and at least one day will be as hot
as 38.5 ° C.
Traditionally constructed houses because of their solid construction could
cope well with hotter summers, ie., solid wall masonry buildings, provides a
large thermal mass that can buffer high and low temperatures, and respond very
slow to changes in air temperature.
There can be other risks in Winter from higher temperatures, ie., warmer and
damper Winters will make mould growth especially in poorly ventilated buildings.
Also, the decline in cold winters may allow growth of strange pests such as
termites.
Sunlight
Sunlight is controlled by the extent and frequency of cloud cover. It is predicted
that in future, South-East England could enjoy 3 per cent less sunlight in Winter,
but about 6 per cent more in Spring and 9 per cent more in Autumn. Summers in
the South-East are already experiencing 15 per cent more sunlight than was the
average in the years from 1961 until 1990.
To reduce sunlight getting through windows, curtains, blinds or shutters can
be used. Shutters have been equipped with many older buildings and by this way
the day time temperature can be reduced in hot climates. The shutters and curtains
can be drawn at sunrise to block the hot temperature and thrown open again at
sunset.
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