Empty aisles at Sainsbury's in Mansfield as supermarkets see fruit and vegetable shortage

Spain and north Africa are currently experiencing extreme weather such as hail, snow and floods. These conditions are affecting their harvests and as a result has had an impact on stock levels in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Andrew Opie, the director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “While disruption is expected to last a few weeks, supermarkets are adept at managing supply chain issues and are working with farmers to ensure customers are able to access a range of fresh produce.”

Mr Opie said some stores will be introducing temporary limits on a number of products and UK produce is starting to come into season which will alleviate any dependency on importing fruit and vegetables from other countries.