UK construction managers have been urged to adopt ‘robust’ dehumidification, power, and temperature control strategies to avoid long-term weather-induced economic losses.
The call from Aggreko follows a recent report that revealed that Europe’s summer of ‘extreme’ weather caused €43 billion in short-term losses.
While summer 2025 was the UK’s warmest on record, it also saw 90mph winds and torrential rain that caused disruption to construction operations.
Tom Adlington, sector sales manager at Aggreko, says site managers should act now to minimise the operational and economic consequences of future weather fluctuations.
He said, “You could say that, in this country, we should be used to sudden shifts in weather, but the scale and intensity of recent extremes are far from ordinary. Instead, rising material costs and volatile supply chains mean that the potential financial impact is greater than ever. Owing to a perfect storm of challenges, economic losses across Europe are in the multi-billions – and the situation will only worsen without immediate action.”
A report from Aggreko, Building in Resilience: Weather-Proofing European Construction in a Changing Climate, revealed that, when surveyed, over 70% of UK construction managers had experienced major weather-related disruptions in the past 12 months. Respondents said extreme conditions were leading to damaged materials and equipment, as well as challenges for employee welfare. 39% also stated associated delays had led to financial penalties on projects.
During periods of intense rain, high levels of humidity can lead to excess moisture in materials like wood and drywall, increasing the chances of mould or corrosion. Aggreko said dehumidifiers can maintain safe levels. In heatwaves, high temperatures can cause thermal expansion in metals and cracking in concrete or adhesives. Temperature control systems stabilise internal conditions.
Tom added, “Recent events demonstrate the need for construction managers to have all-encompassing dehumidification, power and temperature control solutions in place to eliminate the risk of material damage. Extreme weather might become the norm, but this does not mean that economic losses should follow suit.”
