As temperatures cool to more normal summer days and memories of nights swapping the duvet for a freezer-fresh towel fade, economists are counting up the £440 million cost of preparing London for a future of heatwaves.
The extreme heat and humidity cut workers’ productivity by reducing mental and physical performance, according to Oxford Economics analysis. It said the latest heatwave could cut the UK’s labour productivity growth by up to 0.1 per cent, with the most-struck sectors including construction, agriculture, manufacturing, retail and hospitality.
