New research has suggested that the price of food could rise due to the above average temperatures recorded since April.

Data from the British Centre for Economics and Business Research says summer 2018 has been one of the warmest in living memory.

It says the summer followed a cold, wet and challenging winter.

"Though coping with the vagaries of weather is something that farmers are well accustomed to, the extreme weather seen this year has put particular stress on farming costs and yields."

It says from March to July the farm gate price of onions, carrots, lettuce, wheat for bread and strawberries rose by one-fifth or more each.

Dairy production also suffered with consecutive weekly falls as the hot weather hampered grass growth.

"Though the heat has reduced the fertility of pigs and contributed to an 8% rise in piglet prices since March, the price of red meat is set to fall marginally in the short run", the report adds.

Much of grain imported from Europe has also been effected, with record high temperatures this year.

It adds: "Reserves have kept prices from spiking drastically thus far, but industry forecasts and futures prices point toward coming increases."

It also suggests this is bad news for wine fans - as severe hailstorms in the French wine regions of Bordeaux, Champagne and Cognac have eliminated millions of bottles.

While in the Cognac basin at least one-quarter of this year's vintage has been destroyed.