Major supermarkets across the UK faced widespread fridge and freezer failures on Wednesday, June 24, as an extreme heatwave pushed temperatures to record levels. Shoppers were met with empty shelves and printed warnings on refrigeration units at stores including Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury's, and Waitrose.
Tesco stores in Haslingden, Crewe, and Altrincham were among those affected, with video footage shared with the Manchester Evening News showing bare aisles. An M&S store in Crewe also displayed notices on out-of-order fridges. Reports indicated Sainsbury's stores elsewhere in the UK experienced similar issues.
Shoppers Describe Chaos
One shopper wrote on social media: "Anyone thinking of going in Haslingden Tesco don’t bother! Pretty much all the fridge and freezers are broken. Meat isle is completely empty and they won’t let you take anything out of the yogurt isle. Will be loads of food gone to waste today."
At the Altrincham Tesco, a notice read: "This unit is not currently in use. This is to ensure the remaining fridges/freezers in this store can operate at full capacity." In Crewe, notices simply stated: "Unfortunately this fridge is out of order."
Another shopper commented: "At the M&S 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."
Record Heat and Wider Impact
Wednesday marked the hottest June day on record in the UK, with a provisional temperature of 36°C, breaking the previous record from the summer of 1976. The extreme heat prompted amber and red warnings from the Met Office, expected to last for the rest of the week.
Social media users from across the country shared similar experiences. One user on X wrote: "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." Another posted a picture of a Tesco with a 'refrigeration breakdown' notice, asking: "The fridges in my local shop this morning couldn't deal with the heat. Have you seen the same thing where you live?"
A third user said: "Anybody shopping in our little suburban town today will be unlucky. The 2 supermarkets, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have malfunctioning, & consequently entirely empty, fridges. That tells you a) this isn’t normal & b) we’re not built for it."
A Morrisons store in Swindon also apologized after pictures showed empty freezers, citing a 'maintenance issue'. Tesco, M&S, and Waitrose were approached for comment but had not responded at the time of reporting.
