Ice cream shack shuts due to hot weather

An ice cream seller is to temporarily close the business for two days to protect staff and customers during the hot weather.

Oakchurch Farm Shop, in Staunton-on-Wye, Herefordshire, said Scoop Ice Cream Shack, which offered homemade ice creams and sorbets, would be shut on Wednesday and Thursday.

The closure, it said, was in response to a rare red weather warning for extreme heat issued by the Met Office, indicating a danger to life as temperatures soar to 38C in some areas.

Farm shop owner Nick Price explained refrigeration equipment in the outdoor ice cream shack generated a "lot of heat" and he was not prepared to put his staff or customers at risk.

"Even though it would be two very busy days, I think it's best to close," he said.

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The shack, containing a large freezer, remained open on Tuesday and would re-open on Friday and the weekend, Price added.

He said it was the first time he had ever had to close the shack due to a heatwave.

Despite the closure, tubs of ice cream and cones would still be available in the main farm shop, he said.

The red weather warning comes into force at 09:00 BST on Wednesday until 21:00 BST the following day, with people advised to avoid travelling and to stay out of the sun during peak hours.

As with previous heatwaves, scientists have said rising global temperatures caused by human-induced climate change are making extreme heat events more frequent in the UK.

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