Westgate warns storms could delay UK data centre builds

Westgate Global has warned that more frequent extreme weather is threatening UK data centre construction schedules and budgets. Its Chief Executive Officer said wetter, stormier conditions could disrupt projects through 2026 and into 2027.

The comments come as concern grows over the effect of El Niño-linked weather patterns on construction activity, particularly at large sites exposed during key build phases. Data centre developments are especially sensitive because of their scale, tight delivery timetables and pressure on operators to bring new computing capacity online.

Murray Gates, Chief Executive Officer of Westgate Global, said the sector could no longer treat bad weather as an occasional problem. Developers and contractors need to account for weather disruption earlier in planning and procurement if they want to avoid delays and additional costs, he said.

"The UK's predictably 'unpredictable' weather pattern isn't anything new. However, with autumn and early winter likely to be wetter and more stormy, it will become virtually impossible to deliver data centre builds on time and within budget without the right planning and infrastructure," Gates said.

The warning reflects wider strain on UK data centre delivery. Demand for new facilities has risen with growth in cloud services, artificial intelligence workloads and digital infrastructure investment. Builders are also contending with labour constraints, high material costs and grid connection issues. Weather adds another layer of uncertainty, particularly where work depends on maintaining stable conditions on active construction sites.

Gates said some projects had already been affected by earlier seasonal conditions before the expected shift to heavier rain and stronger winds. In his view, that creates cumulative risk for schemes already working to demanding deadlines.

"Due to an uncharacteristically warm summer, many data centre build projects will already be playing catch-up because of delays caused by extreme heat. The prospect of now dealing with heavy rainfall and high winds over the autumn months will be a cause for concern on projects taking a reactive approach to weather risk management. Failing to prepare for these harsher weather conditions from the outset will have a detrimental impact on the UK's ability to meet its AI ambitions and keep pace with global competition," Gates said.

Planning pressure

Construction specialists have long used temporary screening, partitioning and protective systems to manage dust, contamination and weather exposure. Gates said these measures are still too often treated as contingency spending rather than a core part of the programme. That approach leaves projects vulnerable when conditions change quickly, he said.

For data centres, the issue is not limited to direct weather damage. Rain, heat and wind can slow structural work, affect internal fit-out sequencing, disrupt logistics and make it harder to work in partially live or controlled environments. Delays in one phase can then affect handover dates, contractor availability and project costs.

"Unfortunately, engineered weathering is too often seen as what you reach for 'if the weather turns', rather than a planned, budgeted part of the build programme. This must change if data centre builds want to stay on track," Gates said.

Westgate Global, founded in 1977, supplies screening, partitioning and modular hoarding products for sectors including data centres, defence, aerospace, manufacturing and logistics. The group operates across the UK, Europe and the US, and positions its work around protecting projects in environments where downtime or disruption can carry a high cost.

Decisions on weather protection during construction are often reduced to an initial price comparison, even though delays later in the programme can prove more expensive. Gates said that pattern needed to change among operators, contractors and quantity surveyors involved in data centre developments.

Procurement choices

The comments also underline a broader shift in how construction risk is assessed. More developers are under pressure from investors and customers to demonstrate resilience not only in the operation of data centres, but also in how the sites are built. That has brought greater scrutiny to programme management, contingency planning and the treatment of climate-related disruption.

In practice, the challenge is acute for fast-moving data centre projects where the commercial case often depends on speed to market. Missing milestones can affect customer contracts, financing assumptions and supply commitments. As a result, weather planning is increasingly tied to broader business performance rather than site management alone.

"From the outset, data centre operators, contractors and quantity surveyors must consider how to mitigate the challenge of building in live and increasingly unpredictable environments. When it comes to weather protection during the build process, procurement decisions are often boiled down to cost. Should the weather suddenly change, this leaves projects susceptible to delays that could have been avoided had the right infrastructure been installed from the start," Gates said.