Heatwave disruption shows UK projects must prepare for climate change or risk failure
After heatwaves have raged across the UK, more than nine-in-ten project-related professionals have seen their work impacted by climate change in 2026. A new study from the Association for Project Management suggests that firms will need to plan for further disruption, if they are to cope with rising summer temperatures in following years.
2025 was the hottest and sunniest year on record in the UK. 2026 saw those records fall immediately, as five heatwaves and a historic drought spark wildfires on the Suffolk coast, and on the outskirts of Norwich. And while a number of denialists still speak about the heatwave of 1976 as evidence that one-off occurrences of extreme weather are no stranger to British shores, the current trend suggests that this is becoming the norm, not the outlier.
Looking ahead, the Met Office has already warned that 2027 will be the hottest year on record in UK, with “unprecedented” El Niño events expected to raise sea temperatures by more than 3C in the coming months. It is becoming clear that life in the country will need to adapt – because expecting the business of usual from previous decades to return will soon render key infrastructure and operational systems unfit for purpose.
According to the Association for Project Management, 2026 has already given a glimpse of what this looks like in practice. Surveying more than 1,000 UK-based project professionals, the association found that 96% saw their main project affected by the country’s extreme heat this summer.
The data showed this included 64% who said their project was affected significantly, underlining a clear warning. As climate change is already disrupting delivery, failure to act risks the economy grinding to a halt each summer, as projects that are not designed for more frequent extreme weather face a growing risk of delay, cost escalation or collapse.
Among those respondents reporting an impact, the most common consequence of the heatwave noted by 25% was changed working hours, such as earlier starts or later finishes. A 24% portion also said projects had been postponed or temporarily paused, while 23% said heat had affected materials or equipment, and that health and safety measures had increased. Similar numbers also noted that outdoor work had to be suspended or reduce, resulting in reduced productivity due to extreme temperatures.
The heat is on
Dr Hugo Minney, network lead of APM’s Sustainability Interest Network, said, “The message for organisations is that climate change is now a delivery risk and a cost risk, not a distant environmental issue. Project leaders can mitigate against these risks in three practical ways: carry out climate-specific risk assessments at the start of every project; build informed flexibility into schedules, contracts, budgets and supply chains; and protect the workforce through robust heat, safety and wellbeing plans.”
A number of key industries were particularly hard hit – and will need to change in the coming period. In construction, 99% of project professionals working in the sector said their projects were affected, including 62% significantly. The same number in energy were impacted, while that rose to 65% significantly. And transport and logistics saw 98% affected, where 25% saw projects postponed.
As is often the case with such polls, leaders were still keen to put a brave face on their state of play. Overall, 77% of project professionals said the heatwave had made them more confident their organisation’s future projects will be resilient to extreme weather events. However, 18% still said they were now less confident in the future.
Minney added, “This is not simply about responding better when disruption occurs. It is about designing projects that can continue to deliver in the conditions they are likely to face. Organisations that fail to take this seriously may find that extreme weather exposes weaknesses in planning, procurement and governance, with consequences for cost, confidence and completion.”
