How the Ministry of Health Advises Keeping Your House Cool During Heatwaves

To cope with heatwaves, households need sensible ways to keep living spaces comfortable. The Ministry of Health advises an important adjustment to everyday routines: pay close attention to the outdoor temperature. This straightforward measure can quickly improve comfort in your house.

How does natural ventilation work on hot days?

Many people follow a fixed routine when opening parts of their home without checking the weather outside. Natural ventilation only works properly when it is planned, as opening windows without the right conditions can unwantedly heat your home.

Avoiding set times is the key to shielding indoor rooms from today’s extreme heat. Checking the thermometer regularly shows when to act, preventing hot air masses from entering and ruining the coolness of your property during the afternoon.

Why does your house stay hot all the time?

Hidden issues with air circulation and the use of curtains can trap heat indoors… Read more

When is the right time to open the windows?

The essential way to reduce indoor stuffiness is to monitor changes in outdoor weather carefully. The outside temperature must be lower than the reading indoors, ensuring that the airflow brings genuine, lasting relief to all residents.

If conditions outside are still extremely hot, the appropriate advice is to keep all openings fully closed. This sensible approach retains the less harsh indoor air, using the building’s thermal inertia to limit the harmful effects of severe seasonal heat waves.

Below is a video from the CHV Noticias YouTube channel explaining the best ventilation practices:

How do blinds help control the indoor temperature?

Stopping direct solar radiation before it reaches the glazing greatly reduces indoor warming. Keeping blinds lowered during periods of strongest sunshine acts as an essential protective shield, preventing excessive heat from building up in the main rooms.

This physical barrier stops interior materials from absorbing unnecessary thermal energy throughout a sunny day. Keeping windows shut and curtains closed together stabilises the indoor temperature, providing an effective defence against stifling weather outside without requiring additional electrical energy costs.

Essential Heat Kit

Mandatory actions

Consider these three fundamental steps to optimise conditions in your home:

• 1 Monitor thermometers regularly before opening any windows or doors;
• 2 Keep blinds fully lowered in direct sunshine;
• 3 Use the genuine coolness of the night to refresh indoor air.

What dangers do tropical nights present for the property?

During critical periods, early-morning hours may not provide the cooling urban buildings need. During so-called tropical nights, the outdoor temperature remains very high, making extra care necessary to stop accumulated heat from disrupting the rest of tired residents.

Opening access points based solely on the clock is a common tactical mistake that overheats bedrooms. Carefully checking the apparent temperature outdoors avoids serious errors, ensuring that natural ventilation takes place only when weather conditions are favourable and beneficial to the family’s health.

Before changing how rooms are opened, assess the following key factors:

• The actual difference between indoor and outdoor thermometer readings;
• Whether cool winds are present outside;
• Complete blocking of direct sunlight at the windows.

How can the Ministry’s guidance be applied in practice?

Being flexible about timing is the central principle of the new institutional protection advice. Citizens should move away from the old habit of opening windows automatically, instead carefully assessing the outdoor temperature to preserve wellbeing inside the house at all times.

Simple tools such as household thermometers make it possible to track heat levels with complete accuracy. In this way, families can maintain the property’s protective thermal inertia, keeping indoor spaces much more pleasant and safe during severe peaks of urban heat.