Weather & Science
UK Heat Wave to ‘Make a Dent’ in Economy as It Hits Productivity
- British homes and small offices aren’t suited for hot weather
- Unusually high temperatures expected to last until next week
A man carries a fan as he walks through London, on July 12.
Photographer: Alberto Pezzali/AP PhotoThis article is for subscribers only.
The UK’s unusually long heat wave is likely to melt Brits’ productivity as people struggle to focus and risk falling ill, according to an expert on the economics of climate change.
While high atmospheric pressure normally creates hot spells across Europe at this time of the year, climate change is making heat waves more intense, frequent and longer, according to Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science.