Empty reservoirs, ladybirds and sunstroke: remembering the UK heatwave of 1976
Summary
The UK recently experienced a heatwave that broke the previous June temperature record set in 1976. People who lived through the 1976 heatwave shared their memories, describing challenges like water shortages, empty reservoirs, and coping with high temperatures without modern conveniences.Key Facts
- The recent heatwave reached 37.7°C in Lingwood, Norfolk, breaking the previous June record of 35.6°C from 1976.
- In 1976, Britain faced a severe drought and heatwave that surprised many people.
- At that time, people conserved water by sharing baths, reusing water for gardens, and saving washing machine water.
- John Ellis experienced exams in hot, old buildings while the local reservoirs were nearly empty, exposing submerged villages.
- Susan Gilliam, pregnant in 1976, described having no running water except in toilets and relying on daily bucket deliveries.
- The 1976 heatwave lacked some discomforts of today’s heatwave, such as higher humidity and pollution.
- People now have access to showers and modern conveniences that were not common in 1976.
- Those who lived through the 1976 heatwave note concerns about climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions.
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