Households in England urged to close doors on Friday and Saturday

Hot weather is finally returning to much of the UK this weekend after more than a week of rain - but if you're worried about the warmer conditions overheating your home, there are key steps you can take which include closing doors.

The Met Office is forecasting 24C conditions on Friday, rising to 26C on Saturday, then dropping back down to a more manageable 22C on Sunday, particularly in London and parts of the south of England.

The period of heat means that many across the UK will be trying desperately to cool down, as well as to vent air out of their houses.

British homes are really designed to keep heat in, rather than push heat out. Because the UK is generally a moderate climate with cold winters, our houses have been built to trap and keep heat, with thick bricks, insulation and double or even triple glazing. And many vulnerable groups of people such as the very old and the very young need cooler temperatures. Babies, for example, should have their rooms kept at between 16C and 20C according to World Health Organisation guidelines - so 26C heat is bad news and you need to cool down any baby's room that reaches this temperature.

One tip to reduce heat in our houses sounds counterintuitive but heating experts say it works.

The tip is to close doors in rooms you aren't using, in order to keep cool air where you want it.

If you're running an air conditioning unit - or fans - in a room, you will feel the difference stepping in and out of that colder room compared to other parts of the house.

In that case, you're letting a lot of your hard work escape if you keep the door open and let hotter air rush back in to constantly replace the air you spent time cooling down.

Energy supplier British Gas says: "If you're using a fan, closing off unused rooms during the day will keep the house cool in summer by focusing your cooling efforts where you'll feel them the most.

"Similarly, opening your doors in the evening will get the air flowing and stop your home feeling stuffy."

This is backed by Good Living, which adds: "Close doors to rooms you aren't using to keep cool air where you need it most. Seal gaps around doors and windows, and use draught excluders to ensure the cool air can't escape.

"Note: evaporative air-conditioners will be more effective if you open some doors and windows to increase air flow through the home."

If you don't have a proper aircon unit, you can create a makeshift one with a block of ice and a fan.

It adds: "No air-con? No worries! A cleverly-positioned bowl of ice is all you need to turn a fan into a cold mist machine. Place a shallow bowl or pan of ice in front of a fan for an icy-cool breeze that won't break the bank."