{"id":161181,"date":"2026-04-17T13:42:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=161181"},"modified":"2026-04-17T13:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:42:10","slug":"nhbc-foundation-managing-construction-changing-climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/nhbc-foundation-managing-construction-changing-climate\/161181\/","title":{"rendered":"NHBC Foundation: Managing construction in a changing climate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Established in 2006, NHBC<\/a> Foundation provides high quality research and practical guidance to support the home-building industry<\/h2>\n

To date, over 95 reports have been published by NHBC Foundation covering a wide variety of subjects including the sustainability agenda, risk management and complex topics such as hazardous ground gas.<\/p>\n

The latest report, Managing construction in a changing climate, looks at the effects of a less predictable climate on the UK construction sector.<\/p>\n

Based on a survey of construction managers across Europe, construction projects are already being impacted by changing weather, with over 70% of UK construction managers experiencing major weather-induced delays in 2024, according to Aggreko.<\/p>\n

Understanding how the UK climate is changing<\/h3>\n

Assessment by the Met Office in 2025 shows how baselines are shifting and that temperature and rainfall extremes are becoming the new normal. This means the UK climate is changing rapidly with clear consequences for construction.<\/p>\n

The trend shows warmer temperatures in addition to more variable rain patterns, particularly in winter with a 10% increase in annual rainfall compared to the period of 1961-1990. Winters are generally becoming milder, wetter and sunnier, with air and ground frosts reducing by around a quarter since the 1980s.<\/p>\n

Summers show more variable trends, but heatwaves are becoming more frequent and when they do occur are more intense. The hottest summer days have warmed around twice as much as average summer days in some UK areas when comparing the latest decade to 1961-1990.<\/p>\n

And, in addition to earlier seasonal cycles, the frequency of extreme rainfall events is increasing too, with heavy rainfall days and high monthly totals becoming more common.<\/p>\n

In terms of what may be categorised as significant weather events, there is again evidence of them becoming more frequent.<\/p>\n

For example, 2024 saw several major weather events, with over 150% of average rainfall in the six-month period from October 2023 to March 2024 across much of England. This resulted in widespread flooding.<\/p>\n

What could be the impact of a changing climate?<\/h3>\n

The impacts of climate and weather hazards on the built environment and construction projects depend on the intersection of weather, location, timing and sensitivity.<\/p>\n

Certain locations and areas are more exposed to specific climate-related hazards. For instance, coastal communities are particularly exposed to high wind, flooding or high tides and erosion. Buildings in urban areas are more likely to overheat because of the urban heat island effect and the inability to open windows. While buildings on the edge-of-town or in rural locations and near vegetation will be more at risk from wildfires
\nin future warming scenarios.<\/p>\n

Exposure and areas of susceptibility are projected to increase or expand under future climate and warming scenarios. In addition to general location, sites-specific circumstances influence susceptibility to climate-related hazards including but not limited to:<\/p>\n