A heatwave in parts of Europe this summer affected new car sales in a number of countries during August.

Latest figures for Western Europe show sales for the first eight months of the year dropped by 2.2%, with sales of 9,643,835 units this year, down from 9,865,787 units for the same period last year.

The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, which produced the figures, said the fall was in line with most forecasts but that a clear drop noted in August's new car sales, which would have affected year to date sales, could be attributed in part to the heatwave that hit a number of countries.

It contributed to falls of 15.4% for the month in France and 10.5% in Italy, the association added.

For the year to date, only five countries posted positive figures – Austria (+4.8%), Finland (+23.9%), Italy (+0.1%), Spain (+0.7%) and the UK (+0.2%).