Latest news with #cooling
CBS News
11 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
People beat the heat across Massachusetts as more pools are set to open this weekend
Temperatures hit 90 degrees for the first time in Boston this year on Thursday and many families headed out to splash pads to cool down, with more pools set to open this weekend ahead of a potential heat wave. A mad dash toward the splash pad, accompanied by delightful squeals and splashing, as Boston families try to beat the heat Thursday. Long line for wading pool "Luckily we live in walking distance of so many splash pads and playgrounds. That's really, really nice that Boston makes that so accessible," said one nanny. At Artesani Park in Brighton, parents, nannies and kids found themselves in good company: A long line of hot people stretched around the wading pool. "We've been waiting for probably about 35 minutes to get in the pool. It's been pretty hot. We have some pregnant ladies with us so we're a little worried about them," one mother said. 24 pools DCR pools open this weekend More options will open up this weekend, as 24 Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) pools open across the state Saturday, in addition to the more than 30 beaches with lifeguards. "It's going to be a hot week coming up and we're excited to be able to bring some cooling opportunities to the community. And of course to make that happen in a safe manner we've hired over 580 lifeguards to get through this summer season and we're still looking for about another 50 more," explained DCR's Director of Pool and Waterfront Safety Shawn DeRosa. The state offers cash incentives to lifeguards who work through the summer, and covers the cost of training. DCR is also offering free swimming lessons at 19 pools across the state this summer. Registration for the second and third sessions opens at 8 a.m. on June 30 and July 14, respectively.
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Parents are raving about massive Amazon paddling pool that inflates in 2 minutes & it's been slashed from £35 to £9
LOOKING for a cheap way to beat the heat this summer? Look no further than Amazon for the perfect pool that will keep you cool as temperatures continue to soar. 2 2 The budget-friendly pool has just been slashed in price and is now just £8.99. Reduced from £34.99, that's an incredible 74% off. Families are racing to get their hands on the Bestway 6ft inflatable pool, which is great for smaller gardens. Better yet, the pool is easy to set up and can be ready for water in just 10 minutes. Simply select a level surface, inflate the top ring and fill. And when it comes time to take the pool down the simple flow control drain valve makes for easy draining and disassembly. If you are on the hunt for something slightly bigger, the paddling pool also comes in 8ft and 10ft options. With an average rating of 4.2 stars out of five on Amazon, it's clear families have been loving the pool too. One said: "I love how easy this is to set up and deflate. It does take a while to fill but that's due to the capacity of the pool "It's easy to get in and out of. I will say is when you lean on the side you will loose water." Swimming pool named best in the UK has new £2.5million splash park and soft play "Great, cheap pool. Massive and only need to blow up 1 ring," another wrote. And another happy shopper said: "As 40 year old kid, I wanted to something to enjoy and cool down with a cocktail at the weekend in 32C daytime." They added: "I am also 6 foot. Nice to lay out/slightly float and rest my head on the side. Of course designed for kids! But this could fit 2/3 adults sitting. Or one taller person sprawled out, with a beer gut, perfectly." Not only that, but the shopper noted they had no problems with inflating the pool, and noted it was up for four days "with no issue." More bargain pools for summer The Range is offering an Avenli Prompt Set Pool Set for an impressive reduced price. The budget retailer has slashed the price of its pool offering from £49.99 to just £34.99 . Click and collect is available at no extra cost, which might be a better option if you want to collect for the weekend. The inflatable measures 3m x 3m x 76cm. Asda are offering up a shark themed pool, perfect for animal loving kids and it only costs £15. Shoppers ordering via home delivery and click and collect will be charged £4. Asda's offering measures in at 1.93m x 2.21m x 68cm making it suitable for kids aged two and older. How to bag a bargain SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain… Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with. Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks. Sales are when you can pick up a real steal. Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on. Sign up to mailing lists and you'll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too. When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer. Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping. Bargain hunters can also use B&M's scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out. And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you'll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Best cooling mattress toppers, tried and tested in a heatwave
Overheating in bed is uncomfortable, but it can also impact your sleep, and that's been obvious during the recent heatwave. If you've been tossing and turning all night, the right mattress topper can help to promote a cool and dry sleeping environment. At the same time, they can upgrade your mattress by adding an extra layer of comfort. We asked Mattress Online 's sleep scientist, Hannah Shore, to weigh in on all things cooling and sleep, particularly when it comes to mattress toppers. Some mattress toppers will hold onto heat and moisture, Shore explains, and some are designed to feel cool to the touch, like the feel of a pillow after turning it over. 'It doesn't last throughout the entire night, but if you put your hand on [the cover], it will probably stay cooler for longer than a normal fabric'. This means that there are plenty of mattress toppers that can keep you cool – you just need to know what you're looking for. The right material for your topper varies. Most mattress toppers are made from some kind of polyurethane foam, marketed as 'memory foam', and this is notorious for trapping heat. Some cooling toppers counteract this with conductive materials like copper thread or gels. The best toppers are covered with wool or bamboo rayon, as these can stop foam from overheating. But whatever you do, don't expect a cooling topper to completely transform your bed, especially an old mattress. They won't be able to replace the support missing from your mattress; they 'tend to be too thin to physically move the body into the correct position', Shore says. However, a good topper can provide some relief, especially if you sleep on a budget memory foam mattress. How we tested The IndyBest team slept on these mattress toppers for weeks throughout spring and into summer. We tested them during the mini heatwave in May and during the heatwave in June. We assessed how comfortable we were and noted the level of firmness and pressure relief provided. We examined how we felt whilst sleeping on them, and most importantly, whether or not they kept us cool. If we felt that any topper was contributing to tester overheating, it didn't make the final cut. Value for money and ease of storage were also factors in our final decision. Keep reading for our honest thoughts. The best cooling mattress toppers for 2025 are:
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
How to keep your yourself and your home cool in hot weather
When temperatures soar, here are six simple things you can do to keep your home and yourself cool. 1. Let in cool air and encourage air flow Open windows on opposite sides of the house to encourage air flow - releasing trapped warm air and allowing in cooler this when the air temperature outside is cooler than inside, which tends to be overnight or in the early part of the day. In flats which have windows on one side only, open doors and use a fan to encourage air rises within houses, so if you have loft vents or windows you can open them to release some of the hot air can otherwise get trapped on the second floor, where you may be trying to sleep. Extra insulation can also help keep heat out in the summer, as well as reducing your energy bills and usage in the winter. 2. Keep warmer air out during the day In the heat of the day it is best to keep your windows shut and blinds or curtains closed - especially on the side of your home where the sun is shining. 3. Use a fan to enhance the breeze Fans are a relatively cheap and energy efficient way to keep air moving and can help you stay a freestanding fan for a 24-hour period typically costs between 15p and 31p, according to the latest guidance from the Energy Saving the fan in front of an open window can encourage the fresh air from outside to be blown throughout the room - as long as it is cooler ice cubes in front of the fan can cool the air being blown in your direction. You can use more than one fan to create a cross current. Prof Mike Tipton of the University of Portsmouth says it is important to understand how the body works. "Fanning the face improves thermal comfort most, but fanning the whole body helps lower body temperature more," he he warns that using a fan when temperatures are above 35C may make things worse, as you are ultimately just directing hot air towards your conditioning is a much more expensive option than using fans. The Energy Saving Trust says 24 hours of continuous use costs between £4.84 – £6. 4. Limit hot activities Ovens and cookers emit a lot of heat into the home during and after their to cold foods such as salads - especially during the hottest times of the day - can stop unnecessary heat being appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, can also produce heat so try not to use them when it is hottest. Heat exhaustion can also be brought on by high humidity - moisture in the air - so it is worth reducing humidity levels by:taking shorter and colder showerswiping excess water from surfacesmoving indoor plants outside 5. Cool yourself down Tepid showers can help to cool your body temperature, saving both money and energy. But Prof Tipton warns not to go too cold: "The trick is to try and get the skin as cool as possible whilst maintaining maximum blood flow to it."Too cold and the body will shut down blood to the skin and trap the heat in the body making it harder to get out."Putting an ice pack or cold-water bottle on your body can achieve an instant feeling of relief. You may want to wrap it in a towel to avoid direct contact with your clothes can also really affect your body temperature. Natural fibres like cotton and linen help to regulate body temperature and loose-fitting clothing allows room for the breeze to cool you is also why cotton bed sheets can help you sleep when hot air fills a room. 6. Find an alternative space Air-conditioned public buildings such as libraries, leisure centres and shopping centres can also provide relief if your home is too local authorities have created a network of so-called "cool spaces" where the public can go, including London, Manchester and simple ways cities can adapt to heatwaves
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
How Paris's Seine river keeps the Louvre cool in summer
As Paris braces for a heatwave this weekend, a little-known network of underground pipes will be cooling the Louvre museum and other storied landmarks using water from the River Seine. Since 1991, the river water has been cooling more than 800 buildings via a humble but hard-working system that is still relatively under-utilised worldwide. Paris boasts the largest such urban cooling network in Europe: 110 kilometres (68 miles) of subterranean pipes criss-crossing the City of Light, reducing its need for energy-guzzling air conditioning. "It's like 'Batman'!" exclaimed a passer-by in the chic and touristy eighth arrondissement or district of Paris, as a manhole cover was removed to reveal a spiral staircase to the cooling network below. The technology is not new: the headquarters of the United Nations in New York has been using water from the East River for cooling since the 1950s. But much planning and construction is necessary and as such, these efficient and sustainable cooling systems remain relatively rare. But in Paris, the network has grown considerably in recent years to confront more intense and frequent heatwaves, with the first of the summer forecast this coming weekend. The process works much the same as a district heating network, but in reverse: heat is transferred from the air to chilled water pumped via pipes to buildings around the city. But unlike conventional air conditioning, it does not blast hot air into the streets, according to Fraicheur de Paris, which manages the Seine cooling network and others in Barcelona, Singapore and Dubai. The company, co-owned by the French energy utility Engie, says it also offers significant savings in electricity consumption, chemical use and emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide. Beat the heat Heatwaves could push summer temperatures to 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) by 2050 in Paris, said Raphaelle Nayral, secretary general of Fraicheur de Paris. The city needs a more sustainable solution than air conditioning units with their associated heat and energy burden, she added. "Otherwise we will make this city completely uninhabitable," Nayral said. Studies have shown that air conditioners can increase the heat in urban centres by around 0.5C when used in large numbers, a figure that rises as more units are installed. Air conditioning also accounts for seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the UN estimates. This is in part due to energy use but also leaking refrigerant gases, which are potent warming agents. For the Paris network, 12 cooling power stations pump chilled water from the Seine to 867 sites across the city, including the national parliament building. Even in winter, the river can prove useful for cooling server rooms and other technology and heat-intensive operations across the city. 'Song of the Seine' In the eighth district, 30 metres underground and spread over four floors, the river's water is pumped through a series of black tanks and large green pipes with a shrill din. "It's a bit like the song of the Seine," Nayral said with a smile over the whirring of compressors. The process is subject to numerous environmental standards. To prevent damage to the Seine ecosystem, water drawn for cooling cannot be discharged back into the river if there is a difference of more than 5C (9F) between the two. Other sites served by the Paris network include department stores and offices, the train network, concert halls, and arguably the world's most famous museum, the Louvre. One hospital has also been connected, and there are hopes of extending the cooling benefit to retirement homes, schools and daycare centres across the city. "By 2042, the network should more than double, with 245 kilometres of distribution... to provide new cooling when the city is overheating," Nayral said. For individual homes, it could be a longer wait, with extensive renovations required to connect residential buildings to the network.
