Driver's air-con hack cools your car in seconds as UK braced for heatwave

Avoid sweltering in your car with this genius air-con hack that takes just seconds to kick in. After a week of drizzle and grey clouds, it seems the UK weather is heating up once again - as Brits prepare for yet another heatwave.

The mercury is tipped to start rising again further into August, turning weather maps a dark shade of red. On Saturday, August 16 - WXCharts predicts an intense heat spell will hit the UK, particularly around Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and North Wales, bringing with it scorching temperatures of up to 37C.

Meanwhile, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hampshire could reach a sizzling 36C, while London will see a much lower - but still balmy - 34C. It comes after an exciting heatwave forecast with maps revealed the exact date a 39C heat plume will also scorch the UK.

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According to reports, even when it's just 22C outside, the temperature inside a car can climb to a dangerous 47C. Most of us will reach straight for the air-con in these blistering conditions, but there's actually a 30-second hack that works much more effectively.

According to automotive expert William Fletcher of Car.co.uk, the first mistake people make is not rolling their windows down. "Hot air rises and gets trapped in your car's cabin," he explains. "By opening the windows first, you're giving that superheated air somewhere to go instead of forcing your air conditioning to work against it."

The pro advises then blasting your fan on high speed, but still avoiding turning on the AC. While this may feel unpleasant at first, you're actually pushing all of the stale, hot air out through the open windows.

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After around 15-30 seconds of this, William suggests closing the windows and turning on the AC - making sure to set it to recirculate mode rather than drawing in outside air. "This is the game-changer," he added. "Your AC is now cooling air that's already been cleared of the worst heat, rather than battling against that initial furnace-like temperature. It's like giving your system a head start."

The ace's final tip is to angle your air vents upwards or directly towards you to really feel the cooling effect straight away. "Most people just blast the AC straight away and wonder why it takes forever to cool down," William explained.

"But, you're essentially asking your air conditioning to cool air that might be 40°C or higher. By clearing out that initial heat first, your AC can start working with air that's much closer to the outside temperature."

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