'Too hot for ice cream' - summer's impact on trade
BBCThis summer's hot weather has led to mixed fortunes for businesses as they dealt with the positive and negative impacts of record-breaking conditions.
Some traders in south-west England and the Channel Islands said they benefitted from higher visitor numbers and increased demand for food and beverages, but others faced challenges as a result of prolonged dry conditions.
According to provisional data from the Met Office, the average mean temperature for June, July and August was 16.5C (61.7F), making it the warmest summer on record in the UK based on statistics stretching back to 1884.
Meteorologists in Jersey and Guernsey confirmed the islands had their warmest summers on record, with average temperatures for Jersey at 20.5C (68.9F) and 18.9C (66.2F) in Guernsey.
Ice cream seller Christian Hocking, from Hocking's in Appledore, Devon, said trade had been steady, but customers were choosing water over a sweet treat due to a lack of appetite in the heat.
He said: "When it gets too hot, it does actually gets too hot for ice cream."
'Worked incredibly hard'
Others who faced issues during the summer included Guernsey Dairy, with a spokesperson saying the dry spells and high temperatures affected milk volumes from local farms.
However, they added milk supplies remained sufficient to meet daily demand across the island.
Operations director Andrew Tabel said: "Our local dairy farmers and production teams have worked incredibly hard throughout this prolonged period of hot and dry weather."
In Devon, The Avon Inn in Avonwick reported a boost in trade, with manager Eda Iannone saying the pub had seen "a fantastic summer for footfall" after adding more outdoor seating.
She said: "We took a lot more bookings and we put a lot more outside events on with confidence, knowing that with the UK being weather dependent, they would go well."
Tina Bessell from Cornish Lavender, based between St Agnes and Perranporth, said the heat helped produce a "fantastic" oil yield, although visitor numbers to the site fell on the hottest days.
"The farm has loved the heat," Bessell said.
"I think I must be the only farmer in the South West that is happy with the heat."
But for cider producers Rocquette Cider in Guernsey, the hot weather is set to leave its apple harvest about 80% lower than normal, with manager James Miller describing it as "appalling".
Miller added: "The grass is very dry, we haven't had to mow the grass at all.
"The trees have been suffering, I think the only moisture they've been getting is from morning dew.
"Last year we had a good harvest, so we have a lot of cider stored which will carry us through, but two bad years would be devastating."
Jon Parks from the National Trust for Jersey said extreme weather was affecting St Ouen's Pond, with low water levels and algal growth threatening an important habitat for migrating birds.
"Normally at this time of year we'd have all sorts of visitors like green sandpipers, curlews and we've had spoonbills visit us at this time of year before," Parks said.
"They're all looking for that wetland habitat, a chance to feed and there's no water there, there isn't that opportunity unfortunately."
Parks said extreme summers were a "major contributing factor" to the problems, but he emphasised they were not the only cause.
