Why are supermarket fridges empty in Manchester?

Extreme temperatures during the recent heatwave have caused refrigeration systems to fail or be switched off to conserve energy, leaving shelves bare.

Which supermarkets have been affected?

Outages have been reported at various Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Waitrose stores in the region, including branches in Altrincham, Haslingden, and Crewe.

How long will the heatwave last?

The Met Office has issued extreme heat warnings for much of England and Wales that are expected to remain in place for the remainder of the week.

Business

Fridge chaos in Greater Manchester supermarkets as shelves left empty amid record heatwave

Tesco stores in Altrincham, Haslingden and Crewe were among those hit by refrigeration breakdowns on the hottest June day on record, with one shopper saying "the entire UK is in meltdown."

Priya Sharma

25 June 20261 min read

Supermarket fridges fail across Greater Manchester amid extreme heatwave — Manchester Evening News

There was fridge chaos in major supermarkets across Greater Manchester on Wednesday (June 24), with shelves left empty as refrigeration systems failed during the hottest June day on record.

Tesco stores in Haslingden, Crewe and Altrincham were among those affected, with shoppers struggling to get their hands on essentials like meat, milk and yoghurts. Video footage and pictures shared with the MEN showed scores of empty shelves and printed warnings on fridges.

A notice in the Altrincham Tesco read: "This unit is not currently in use. This is to ensure the remaining fridges/freezers in this store can operate at full capacity."

Notices in the Crewe store simply read: "Unfortunately this fridge is out of order." The M&S in Crewe also had fridges switched off.

What have shoppers said?

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 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."

Another said there were "fridges and freezers off" in the Crewe Tesco, adding: "At the M&S there were some broken

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are supermarket fridges empty in Manchester?: Extreme temperatures during the recent heatwave have caused refrigeration systems to fail or be switched off to conserve energy, leaving shelves bare.
Which supermarkets have been affected?: Outages have been reported at various Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Waitrose stores in the region, including branches in Altrincham, Haslingden, and Crewe.
How long will the heatwave last?: The Met Office has issued extreme heat warnings for much of England and Wales that are expected to remain in place for the remainder of the week.