Many utilities did not supplement their supplies earlier this week, as mild weather pushed prices to a five-year low before the July 4 holiday.
The insurance arm – which must be sold to appease EU regulators – made a £265m loss after the bad weather pushed fourth-quarter claims £100m higher than usual.
At mines, production fell 1.2percentt in July, while output at gas and electric utilities rose 2.3percentt as hot weather pushed up demand.
Debenhams blamed the fall on the first half of the year to 31 August, when bad weather pushed UK operating profits 3.1% lower to £139.8m and forced a surprise profits warning in March.
The scalding weather pushed the Northeast's power grid perilously close to its limits yesterday, smashing records for electricity use and driving prices to record highs, as officials scrambled for ways to avoid overloading the system.
The number of patients waiting for more than four hours in English NHS casualty departments went up last week, as snow and cold weather pushed up A&E attendances.
Then, last year, inclement weather pushed the final round to Monday, when Woods made his comeback, overcoming Matt Gogel with a furious finish that included an eagle on No. 15 by holing a wedge shot from 97 yards.
Late Christmas-gift buying and cold weather pushed sales up sharply in the latest week, the report says.
