UK heatwave causes supermarket fridge failures as temperatures hit record highs

Britain's record-breaking heatwave has disrupted supermarkets across the country, with reports of refrigeration failures leaving chilled and frozen food shelves empty as temperatures climbed above 36C in several areas this week.

The disruption comes as experts warn that refrigeration equipment is struggling to cope with increasingly frequent periods of extreme summer heat across the UK.

According to The Grocer, shoppers found empty chiller cabinets at Tesco stores in Haslingden, Crewe and Altrincham after refrigeration systems malfunctioned.

The outlet further reported similar issues in Wales, the Forest of Dean, Oxfordshire, Manchester and Birmingham. One resident wrote: "If you're going to Sainsbury's to buy chilled or frozen food, don't bother. They've closed off all those sections."

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Soaring mercury 

The UK's hottest June day on record was broken for the third consecutive day on Friday, with the Met Office recording a provisional temperature of 37.3C at Santon Downham in Suffolk.

The reading exceeded Thursday's 36.7C recorded at Merryfield in Somerset, which had itself surpassed the previous day's 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire.

The new provisional record also eclipsed the previous June record, which had stood for 50 years, by more than one degree.

Elsewhere, temperatures reached 35.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire, marking the highest reading in Wales, while Scotland recorded 29.2C in Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway. Northern Ireland's highest temperature was 25.6C in Katesbridge, County Down.

Heatwave disrupts services

The prolonged spell of extreme weather has caused widespread disruption across the country, affecting transport services, forcing hundreds of schools to close and prompting six NHS trusts to declare critical incidents after facing overwhelming demand.

Forecasters also reported "tropical nights" across parts of England and Wales.

Heatwave spreads across Europe

Europe remained in the grip of an intense heatwave on Saturday as Germany and Italy baked under soaring temperatures, while the extreme weather system that has already been linked to dozens of deaths in Western Europe continued its eastward march after pushing temperatures above 40C (104F) in several regions.

After shattering June temperature records in Britain, France, Switzerland and Germany, the heatwave is expected to continue moving east towards Poland, with forecasters warning that more records could be broken.

Germany recorded a provisional all-time June high of 41.3C near the city of Saarbruecken, close to the French border, on Friday, according to a spokesperson for the country's National Meteorological Service, who said the reading was still subject to confirmation.

Italy's Health Ministry placed 18 cities under a red heatwave alert for Saturday and Sunday, including Milan, Rome, Turin, Venice, Genoa, Florence and Bologna, with temperatures in some areas forecast to reach 39C.

France has borne some of the deadliest consequences of the heatwave, with dozens of deaths reported among both young and elderly people. Temperatures exceeding 40C have disrupted rail services and power generation, prompted alcohol bans, forced schools to suspend classes and led to the postponement of outdoor events.