Summer keeps retailers guessing

Britain's bizarre summer of heat and floods has sent sales soaring of everything from air conditioners to waterproof jackets.

Supermarkets have had to cater for rapidly changing conditions. Customers have demanded salads one day and heavy stews, casseroles and pies the next.

Tesco spokesman Jonathan Church said: "With conditions fluctuating so wildly it means people's food tastes are changing from hour to hour."

Other retailers said the most popular items in the past two weeks had been dehumidifiers, with Curry's seeing sales up 50 per cent on last year, while outdoor shops have seen a massive surge in sales of lightweight waterproof jackets.

Garden furniture sales have also soared, with B&Q reporting a 300 per cent rise in sales of folding chairs.

Meanwhile, air conditioning firms have struggled to cope with demand.