Heatwave boost for retailers as Brits snapped up BBQs and fans June 9, 2026 The late-May heatwave offered a much-needed boost for retailers as the hot weather prompted red-hot spending on barbecues, fans and sandals. Retail sales in the UK jumped by 3.7 per cent year on year in May, soaring above the full-year average of two per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Many Brits opted [...]
B&Q owner eyes warm weather boost as sales fall May 26, 2026 B&Q’s FTSE 100 owner will be hoping for a heatwave boost after it blamed poor weather for falling sales at the start of the year. Kingfisher, which also owns Screwfix and home improvement retailers in France and Poland, saw total like-for-like sales dip by 0.9 per cent to £3.3bn in the first quarter of the [...]
Heat wave bottle jobs: Water firms set up emergency supply points in Kent, with tankers on standby May 25, 2026 With temperatures setting records for May over the long bank holiday weekend, emergency supplies of bottled water were sent to two major Kent towns and hundreds of Brits were hit with interruptions to their water supply. Distribution points were set up in Faversham and Ramsgate as a precaution, amid problems with infrastructure in the area. [...]
London must prepare for new climate extremes July 29, 2025 Floods, extreme temperatures, wildfires… the new London Plan must not treat planning for freak weather as an optional extra, says Emma Howard Boyd London and New York are officially the world’s most globally connected cities. Not only are both classed as ‘supercities’ but they are also the world’s only combined financial, commercial and cultural superhubs, [...]
The Debate: Should there be a legal maximum temperature for offices? July 2, 2025 As London summers heat up, is it time the UK mandates a maximum working temperature for the office? Two writers go head to head.
The Debate: Is it okay to wear shorts to the office? June 25, 2025 In the midst of a heatwave, it's time to ask the big question: is it permissible to wear shorts to the office? Our writers battle it out.
Cheers to that! Warm weather provides ‘welcome boost’ to UK’s pubs May 13, 2024 The overdue sunny weather this weekend gave Britain's pubs a "welcome boost", leading industry figures have said, as revellers across the country soaked up the sunshine in beer gardens in London and across the country.