The summer heat is hitting data centers hard and outages and downtime may only get worse

Date:
Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:05:00 +0000

Description:
More than half of the world's data center capacity is at risk of rising temperatures, heatwaves, drought and water stress.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter 54% of global data center capacity is at risk of temperature-related climate stress Before damage even occurs, operating costs can soar to keep up with cooling demands Future projects should focus on temperature projections and resource availability A new First Street report has identified extreme heat as one of the most significant long-term risks that data centers face worldwide, with rising global temperatures, higher hardware power density and strained cooling demands all contributing to the problem.

More than half (54%) of the global data center capacity surveyed is now said to be located in markets that expect to face growing chronic climate risks like rising temperatures, more frequent heatwaves, drought and water stress. But besides causing physical damage, rising temperatures can also add to operational costs simply by demanding more cooling capacity, the report argues. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Heat is a data center's worst enemy Higher temperatures mean cooling systems need to work harder to keep servers within safe temperature ranges, leading to higher electricity consumption, lower cooling efficiency, greater wear on cooling equipment and potentially all server hardware if optimal temperatures aren't maintained,
and higher operational and maintenance costs.

With cooling already one of the largest ongoing expenses for data centers, rising temperatures could compound the effects. You may like Almost 80% of data centers constructed in natural disaster zones data centers are fueling and succumbing to climate risks Arizona data centers raise Phoenix temperatures by up to 4 degrees Surge in ultra-hot data centers is creating extreme heat islands

Summer 2026 is already proving to be a stress test for data centers in the Northern Hemisphere, with temperature records being broken across Europe and North America where around 50% and 46% of capacity respectively is located in chronic heat and drought regions. As much as 89% of Asia-Pacific capacity faces the same challenges.

Looking ahead, the report concludes that future data center investments
should focus on future temperature projections rather than historical climate data, and the availability of power and water to support long-term cooling operations. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
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Companies could also look to locate campuses in low-risk areas, which have so far seen comparatively slower development.

"As digital infrastructure continues to expand globally, institutions that incorporate climate risk into site selection, underwriting, and capital allocation decisions will be better positioned to identify resilient opportunities and manage long-term exposure," the firm says. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-summer-heat-is-hitting-data-centers-hard-and -outages-and-downtime-may-only-get-worse


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