Marks & Spencer has said it is taking action across its food stores to cope with extreme heat of up to 45C, after “struggling” in last month’s searing temperatures.
Chief executive Stuart Machin told shareholders at the chain’s annual general meeting in London that fridges in some of the firm’s stores and foodhalls broke down because of the recent heatwave.
He said the group was reviewing its refrigeration and investing in new equipment to deal with even higher temperatures in the future.
Mr Machin said: “There’s no doubt we were struggling in those nine days of extreme heat.
“Now we’re investing in equipment in our stores to deal with temperatures of 45C.
“We’re reviewing all our refrigeration as well.”
Food stores and supermarkets across the country had fridge issues during the June heatwave, during which temperatures reached a new high of 37.7C, beating the previous June record from the summer of 1976.
It is forecast that temperatures could rise to 45C or even higher in the future.
The Met Office warned last year there was a 50:50 chance temperatures could soar to 40C in the next 12 years, as the risk of extreme heat rises with climate change, while far higher temperatures of 45C or more “may be possible” in today’s climate.
The Met Office announced a “plausible” forecast for a heatwave in June 2056 which showed peaks of 45C in England, having hit 40C in the UK for the first time on record in 2022.