July 20, 2022 11.09 am This story is over 20 months old

Supermarkets lose their cool in Lincolnshire heatwave

It left aisles looking bare
Aisles were closed in some supermarkets across Lincolnshire on Tuesday, as fridges struggled to cope with the extreme heat. | Photo: The Lincolnite
By Local Democracy Reporter

A number of supermarkets across Lincolnshire were left without fridge or freezer sections on Tuesday, after the intense heat caused them to break down.

Tuesday, July 19 recorded the hottest temperatures since records began in England, with two Lincolnshire places (Coningsby and Waddington) being at the top of the national list with peaks of 40.3°C in the afternoon.

This heatwave prompted many to stay at home, with Lincoln High Street looking more like a desert than an area to shop on Tuesday – thanks to the Met Office’s inaugural red weather warning for heat.

Notices were put up as fridges and freezers broke under the pressure of 40 degree heat. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Aisles were bare as items were taken off shelves due to the heat. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Services across the nation were affected, including schools, transport and waste collection, but it was also supermarket retailers feeling the brunt of the heat, as multiple reports of broken down fridges left shoppers and staff with a dilemma.

In Sleaford, Tesco Superstore on Northgate had numerous aisles closed due to this issue – leaving the supermarket with no refrigerated items at the store on Tuesday evening.

An empty aisle with shutters pulled down at Sleaford Tesco. | Photo: The Lincolnite

A similar story at Lincoln’s Sainbsury’s store on Tritton Road. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Items such as meat, cheese and frozen goods including chips and vegetables were blocked off by shopping trollies and boxes, as staff aimed to cope with the challenging issue.

Sainsbury’s on Tritton Road in Lincoln suffered a similar fate, with notices on freezer doors across the store to say that “due to current weather conditions”, the fridges and freezers aren’t working and are therefore unavailable.

Many sections of the store had to be closed off. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The heat put a spanner in the works of those special offers. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Both stores apologised for any inconvenience with these notices, and it was an issue that multiple supermarket retailers faced on the hottest day in recorded history for the United Kingdom.

Temperatures have since eased into the mid-20s after the record breaking day, allowing for repairs to take place and the fridge aisles to be reinstated.

| Photo: The Lincolnite

| Photo: The Lincolnite