Shoppers were unable to buy essential items like meat and milk as fridges and freezers broke down in supermarkets across the UK
Supermarket shoppers were left frustrated on Wednesday (June 24) as the ‘extreme’ heatwave gripping the UK caused refrigeration chaos, leaving shelves bare in major stores.
Fridges and freezers in outlets including Tesco and M&S were plastered with printed warnings as customers were confronted with empty aisles.
Tesco branches in Haslingden, Crewe and Altrincham were among those reported to have been left with empty shelves, with video footage shared with the Manchester Evening News. Images also revealed out-of-order fridges at the Crewe M&S, while Sainsbury’s stores elsewhere across the UK were also said to have been hit.
The stores appeared to be battling problems with their refrigeration systems as Britain struggled with soaring temperatures, leaving shoppers unable to get their hands on everyday essentials such as meat and milk. The problem appeared to have struck a number of supermarket branches up and down the country.
“Anyone thinking of going in Haslingden Tesco don’t bother! Pretty much all the fridge and freezers are broken,” one frustrated shopper wrote on social media.
“Meat aisle is completely empty and they won’t let you take anything out of the yogurt aisle. Will be loads of food gone to waste today”, theu said, via the Manchester Evening News.
Meanwhile, videos and images revealed rows of bare shelves in fridges at a Tesco store in Altrincham.
A sign on the fridges stated: “This unit is not currently in use. This is to ensure the remaining fridges/freezers in this store can operate at full capacity.”
Notices on the Crewe store fridges read: “Unfortunately, this fridge is out of order.”
Another shopper reported there were ‘fridges and freezers off’ at the Crewe Tesco, adding: “At the MandS there were some broken fridges and some with notices saying they’ve been switched off. It was the same situation at Waitrose in Sandbach with broken down fridges. I think the entire UK is in meltdown.”
Social media users from across the UK also documented their experiences on Wednesday, which became the hottest June day on record. Temperatures hit a provisional 36C, surpassing the previous record from the summer of 1976.
One user wrote on X: “If anyone is desperate for M&S, do not go to High Wycombe retail park All the fridges are off-line literally only got dry stuff available,” while another shared a photograph in a Tesco displaying a ‘refrigeration breakdown’ notice, writing: “The fridges in my local shop this morning couldn’t deal with the heat. Have you seen the same thing where you live?” Meanwhile, a third user wrote: “Anybody shopping in our little suburban town today will be unlucky. The two supermarkets, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, have malfunctioning, and consequently entirely empty, fridges. That tells you a) this isn’t normal and b) we’re not built for it.”
A Morrisons branch in Swindon also issued an apology on Wednesday after images emerged showing a row of bare freezers, blaming a ‘maintenance issue’.
This comes as large parts of England and Wales bake in exceptionally hot and humid weather, which has triggered amber and a rare red warning from the Met Office for extreme heat, forecast to persist for the rest of the week.
Tesco, M&S and Waitrose were all contacted for a comment.