Huge queues could be seen snaking outside supermarkets on Thursday as Britons tried to get their hands on bargain air conditioning units.
It comes as the record for the hottest June day was broken for the second day in a row and is forecast to be smashed again on Friday.
A high of 40C is forecast in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk on Friday afternoon, which would exceed yesterday’s record-breaking 36.7C in Merryfield, Somerset.
In a bid to keep cool, dozens of people queued across a Lidl car park on Thursday morning in Southampton as they tried to buy £149 discounted air conditioning units.
One shopper shared a video of her scrambling through Lidl in a race to get hold of an air conditioning unit only to find they had all sold out.
She explained she had queued from 7.30am and saw at least 50 people behind her in the queue. But even after visiting several supermarkets she was unable to buy an air conditioning unit.
But it’s not just Lidl the extreme heat has sent sales of fans soaring this week, with retailers reporting unprecedented sales.
Lakeland said electric fans made up 17 per cent of online sales between Tuesday and Thursday this week, up from the norm of around 2 per cent.
Week on week, sales of electric fans were up 600 per cent for Tuesday to Thursday, the household goods retailer said.
Toolstation reported on Thursday that sales of cooling fans had risen by 333 per cent week on week, and sales of air conditioners were up by 220 per cent.
The retailer said sales of outdoor watering accessories including hoses were up by 38 per cent, while sales of water sprinklers had increased by 37 per cent.
The figures come as a hosepipe ban has been brought in for Kent amid surging demand for water, schools and nurseries remain closed, transport services have been disrupted and one rail operator has urged people not to travel for beach trips because of the extreme heat.
A red warning for extreme heat is in place until 9pm for London & South East England and the East of England.
The Met Office said the heat will be accompanied by “high humidity, exacerbating the potential for discomfort and health impacts”.
