Farmers and growers have warned of a shortage of lettuce on the supermarket shelves as a result of the heatwave.
The ongoing sustained heat has scuppered growth of the crop amid an increasing consumer demand for lettuce.
The British Leafy Salad Growers Association (BLSGA) said the high temperatures are causing problems for lettuce growers.
The trade body said that a record 18 million heads of lettuce were sold last week – a 40% increase from the same period year before.
“The soaring summer temperatures are causing havoc for the UK’s leafy salad growers,” said BLSGA spokesman Dieter Lloyd.
Mr Lloyd added that it “looks entirely likely that there will be shortages” from the “middle to end of next week,” reports BBC News.
When the mercury hits 30 degrees Celsius, the lettuce crop cannot grow, according to Mr Lloyd.
He added: “In all of the major growing areas, from Cupar in Fife, through Preston, to Ely in East Anglia and Chichester, Sussex, the hot weather has affected all our growers.”
Imports from US
The trade body said British consumers can expect to see lettuce imported from the United States to meet soaring demand.
Salad leaves are not the only crop to be effected by the warm weather. Farmers and growers have highlighted concerns over vegetables such as broccoli, which also stop growing in hot conditions.
And one lettuce grower in East Anglia, who did not want to be named, told the BBC this summer had been “very challenging”.
Normally in good weather the crop grows rapidly, he said. But at the current temperatures the crop effectively stops growing because its “under stress”.
“I think that if the weather keeps going the way that it’s going absolutely we wouldn’t be in a position to fulfil the demand that we’re seeing with UK-grown produce,” he added.
Brits will also see fewer food choices when grocery shopping this weekend due to the ongoing carbon dioxide shortage affecting the UK.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has warned that CO2 supplies will not resume to normality until the middle of next week.
