Warm weather may also have made investors at a major Gloucestershire fashion retailer a little hot under the collar as the firm blamed the unseasonal climate for its profits warning.

Superdry saw more than 20 per cent wiped off the value of its shares after revealing that its winter clothing sales had been hit by the warmer than expected end to the summer and early autumn.

It has proved serious enough for the Cheltenham-headquartered company to warn its profits were likely to be as much as £10 million down.

And on top of that the firm is also expecting to have to deal with an extra £8 million of additional "exchange costs".

"The summer and autumn to date has seen unseasonably hot weather conditions in the UK, Continental Europe and on the East Coast of the USA," said the firm in a statement this morning.

"Critically, these conditions have continued through into September and the first half of October and have significantly affected demand for autumn/winter product, particularly sweats and jackets, which account for around 45 per cent of Superdry's annual sales.

"The effect of the weather conditions experienced in the first half of the financial year, when combined with the well-publicised challenges facing some of Superdry's trading partners, is expected to adversely impact profits for financial year 2019 by around £10m. "

It added: "Historic foreign exchange hedging mechanisms that Superdry had put in place have not provided the same degree of protection as expected. This will lead to around £8m in additional foreign exchange costs, split evenly over the financial year.

Superdry makes nearly three quarters of its money during the second half of the year, but also noted it is five months into an 18-month plan to reduce its reliance on winter sales by diversifying its brand.