IT contractors can expect to be called in on more data recovery operations during the summer months, it is claimed.

According to information management firm Kroll Ontrack, warmer weather and summer storms combine to produce more data loss, as requests for data recovery services increase by an average of 12 per cent between the second and third quarter.

This is because power outages are more common due to intense heat and increased use of air conditioning, the company claims.

Excess heat can also result in the failure of hard drives, while humidity and dust can combine to produce static electricity issues with electrical components.

"While data loss can happen at any time, we have seen a distinct increase in demand for recovery services from second to third quarter, which coincides with the onset of the summer season as well as severe weather," said Jeff Pederson, Kroll Ontrack.

Companies in the UK need to take adequate measures to prevent careless loss of data, or they could be fined up to £500,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office.