Hot weather advice for UCL staff

UCL's Portico building under a blue sky, seen from a shadier part of the Quad - With temperatures forecast to rise to 34 degrees next week, here's our guidance on working safely in hot weather. Temperatures above 32 degrees are forecast in London for several days next week, with an amber warning in place for extreme heat from Sunday 17 July to Tuesday 19 July. As a result, our buildings at UCL are likely to be hotter. Whilst we do have cooling systems, there will be tremendous strain on them as in the UK, they are typically designed for a maximum temperature of 30 degrees. Cooling is also one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions, so as the weather heats up, here are some simple actions to keep cool while minimising our environmental impact. During the hot summer conditions, the following measures to increase comfort should be adopted by individuals and departments: During the heat of the day keep windows closed, use blinds and temporarily move out of sunny areas. This may seem counter-intuitive, but during very high temperatures opening the windows will nearly always make it warmer inside, and reduces the effectiveness of any air conditioning.