Overview
- Verdant calculates the UK lost about £4.4 billion in economic output through the end of July because extreme heat cut worker productivity and disrupted equipment and infrastructure.
- A Triodos Bank analysis estimates the summer’s extreme weather could shave roughly €180 billion off EU GDP, with labour-productivity declines the largest single channel of loss.
- Losses are highly concentrated in London and the south, with Verdant estimating the City of London lost about £435 million and Westminster about £371 million, while LSE research found £1.1 billion lost in June from reduced working hours alone.
- The Met Office warned temperatures could reach 38°C and the government held an emergency Cobra meeting on August 12 to review impacts and public responses.
- Verdant and other analysts warn that, without stronger adaptation, cumulative UK heat-related output losses could reach roughly £25–25.6 billion by 2030 and that the reported figures likely understate wider costs such as higher energy bills, transport disruption and agricultural damage.