Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Sarah Marsh Consumer affairs correspondent

Sales of fans, ice cubes and sunscreen surge during May UK heatwave

A silhouetted person holds up a small handheld electric fan against a bright sky
A person uses an electric fan to cool down Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

Fans are selling at a rate of three a minute and sales of ice cubes have tripled, retailers have said, as shoppers search for everything from ice baths to cooling eye masks to combat May’s record temperatures.

The UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday after temperatures earlier in the day had hit a provisional all-time meteorological spring record of 34.8C (94.6F) at Kew Gardens in south-west London. The record was broken again on Tuesday when temperatures provisionally reached 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.