Sales of fans, ice cubes and sunscreen surge during May UK heatwave
During the recent heatwave in the UK, sales of cooling products like fans and ice cubes have surged dramatically. Retailers reported that fan sales reached three units per minute, while ice cube sales tripled compared to the previous week. The extreme temperatures have prompted many households to invest in air conditioning and other cooling solutions to cope with the heat.
- ▪The UK experienced record temperatures, reaching 35C (95F) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens.
- ▪Sales of ice cubes have tripled, and sunscreen sales rose almost sixfold during the heatwave.
- ▪An estimated 4 million homes in the UK now have air conditioning, double the figure from three years ago.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/26/sales-of-fans-ice-cubes-and-ice-baths-surge-during-may-uk-heatwave |
| Publication time | Tue, 26 May 2026 16:23:30 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-26T16:32:49.922Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-26T16:32:49.922Z |
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| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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A person uses an electric fan to cool down Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPAView image in fullscreenA person uses an electric fan to cool down Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPAExtreme heatSales of fans, ice cubes and sunscreen surge during May UK heatwaveWith many homes poorly designed for extreme heat, retailers report high demand for air conditioning and outdoor shadeSarah Marsh Consumer affairs correspondent Tue 26 May 2026 12.23 EDTLast modified on Tue 26 May 2026 12.24 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleFans 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…
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