Households are being urged to use a bowl of water on a windowsill to keep their house cool this week.

       The Met Office has forecast baking 34C temperatures will arrive on Monday, with Tuesday and Wednesday also set to be hot.

       But there is a trick to cool your house down - using a simple bowl of water.

       If you don’t have access to an expensive air conditioning unit, one cheap and effective alternative is to use bowls of water placed strategically around the house.

       READ MORE: Households urged to use kitchen foil to cool down house in 34C heatwave

       Popping a bowl of water on your windowsill, or a bedside table, can help cool down your room using something called evaporative cooling.

       Put simply, evaporating water enters the air and brings the temperature of the air down as it evaporates. This is similar to how evaporative aircon units work; by adding moisture to the air to cool off the air itself.

       Appropedia says: “Water can be used to cool a room when you don't have air conditioning or want to save electricity. Evaporation is the best method and these methods are often referred to as a "swamp cooler".

       “Find a few round bowls such as fishbowls. They should be medium to large in size.

       “Fill with water. Place the bowls under a window. Every time the window is open, the breeze will flow over the bowls of water and help to cool the air in the room.

       “This method can also be used in large containers outdoors provided you don't live where mosquitoes are a health problem.”

       To get even better cooling, throw some ice cubes in a bowl of water and point a fan at the bowl. As the ice melts, the cold air will be driven into the room, thus cooling it.