As Britain endures its third heatwave of the summer, flexible office providers say they are seeing a surge in staff coming into air-conditioned workplaces rather than working from home in overheated houses. It matters because it suggests extreme summer temperatures are beginning to reverse, at least temporarily, the working-from-home habits that became widespread in recent years, with comfort and productivity driving the shift.

Office Space in Town (OSiT), which runs five London sites, reported a 75 per cent rise in attendance during the capital's "red alert" heatwave from 22 June to 3 July, and said around 60 per cent of workers found it "more convenient" to travel to a cool office. Co-founder Sarah Singlehurst noted that, with no statutory maximum working temperature in the UK, employees were responding "pragmatically" by seeking cooler spaces. ADAPT Workspace, which rents out more than 3,000 London offices, reported a similar double-digit rise in demand attributed to air conditioning.