Beat the heat LIVE — how to stay cool during the UK heatwave, tips, advice, best fans, portable AC and more

It's hot. Really hot. And it's getting hotter. Much hotter. Send help!

Yes, in case you hadn't noticed, the UK is in the grip of another heatwave, this time courtesy of a heat dome — a trapped area of high pressure — pushing up from the Sahara desert and settling over Europe.

The Met Office has issued a rare red warning for heat and it's quite possible we'll see the UK's hottest ever June day, with the record currently standing at 35.6C but predicted to reach 39C over the next few days.

• Browse all the best Prime Day deals

It's a particular problem at night, with temperatures expected to be at or above 20C even in the early hours, and as we all know, UK houses are built to keep warmth in, rather than let it out.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep cool even during these kinds of temperatures — and that's where we can help. We've got a ton of advice for you on how to cool your home, plus recommendations for the best fans to buy and other appliances that can help you chill (literally and figuratively).

Plus, as luck would have it, the heatwave coincides with Amazon Prime Day — meaning you can pick up some home-cooling tech for a bargain price.

Amazon Prime Day deals — editor's picks

Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial

Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £21.99

Amazon Haul: up to 30% off

Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage

Essentials: household goods from under £10

Fantastic fans

Prime Day officially begins tomorrow (Tuesday, 23 June) and right now there are not many deals to be found on our favourite fans. But there are a couple on sale, and we expect more to drop in price once we get past midnight.

Beyond that, we've also included our top picks that aren't currently on sale, because you may decide that it's worth paying full price to get some relief from the heat — and right now, we'd agree.

Air conditioners

If a fan just isn't cutting it, a portable air conditioning unit is a reliable way to actually lower temperatures in your home. Unfortunately, portable AC units all-but sold out now. Below, you'll find the ones still in stock (for now), plus a couple of permanent options, if you fancy getting serious and splashing a bit more cash. We'll update this section with more options if we find any.

A quick PSA on how to choose: for portable units, the spec to focus on is BTU — this stands for British thermal units, and the higher the BTU, the larger the room the unit can cool. Ideally, we'd recommend looking at models with 10,000BTU or above, unless you're only cooling a very tiny room.

Kitchen coolers

Fans aren't the only way to cool down, of course — you can also whip up something frosty in the kitchen.

Below, you'll find a selection of TechRadar-recommended appliances to make cooling drinks or treats, and some of them are already on sale ahead of Amazon Prime Day.

One to watch

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a price cut on Meaco's range of air circulators tomorrow, when Prime Day officially kicks off. I borrowed one during the last UK heatwave and it was amazing, particularly at night when it was almost silent while it pulled cool air at night, making it far easier to sleep. I borrowed the 10in Meaco Sefte Pro, which you can operate with your phone, but the whole range is excellent.

See all Meaco cooling fans at Amazon

One to watch

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a price cut on Meaco's range of air circulators tomorrow, when Prime Day officially kicks off. I borrowed one during the last UK heatwave and it was amazing, particularly at night when it was almost silent while it pulled cool air at night, making it far easier to sleep. I borrowed the 10in Meaco Sefte Pro, which you can operate with your phone, but the whole range is excellent.

See all Meaco cooling fans at Amazon