How does this year’s summer heatwave compare to the sizzler in 1976?

A heatwave is well underway across the UK, with temperatures expected to soar to 35C this week.

An amber health alert came into force on Friday, making it the second amber health alert in two weeks, covering London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England.

While that heat may be too much for some, others are looking to take advantage of the weather by cooling off in swimming pools, at the beach, and at local parks, and many have been reminiscing about the great heatwave of 1976.

But just how hot was the famous heatwave, and how long did it last?

Here is everything you need to know about the mid-70s summer.

How hot was the 1976 heatwave?

The heatwave, which took place across June and July, peaked at 35.6°C – still lower than the record temperature of 40°C, which was broken for the first time in the UK at Heathrow Airport during the 2022 heatwave.

The heatwave formed after a weather pattern saw extremes in sea temperatures around Greenland and the UK, with research showing it was, and continues to be, linked to warmer, drier summers in the UK.

The high-pressure weather system was centred further to the east of the UK, drawing up humid air and leading to stifling night-time temperatures for almost two weeks.

Some places in Britain went 45 days without rain, causing widespread drought. Things got so severe that parliament had to pass the Drought Act, and bring MP Denis Howell in as Minister for Drought.

There was a ban on hosepipes, and people were encouraged to shower only to avoid wasting water with baths.

Traflagar Square fountains and Hampstead Heath ponds were filled to the brim as Londoners tried to cool off.

How long did the heatwave last?

The heatwave lasted a staggering 15 days, from June 23 to July 7.

How does the heatwave of 1976 compare to now?

The 1976 heatwave is often brought up as an example of extreme heat, but Max Dugan-Knight, a climate data scientist at Deep Sky Research, told Yahoo News 1976 is nothing out of the ordinary when looking at weather in the past few years.

‘Looking back at the data, the summer of 1976 was much hotter in the UK than other years around it,’ he said.

‘But the UK is not the world. The summer of 1976 was anomalously hot in the UK but it was actually below average in most of Europe and the world.’

What is the hottest temperature on record?

While 1976 was certainly one of the longest heatwaves the UK has faced, summers since have seen new records.

2022 saw record temperatures, with the mercury topping 40°C for the first time in UK history, as predicted by forecasters.

Heatwaves were declared across England and Wales, with a temperature of 32.2°C recorded in Kew, west London

Heatwaves are officially recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three days in a row, with with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C depending on their location in the UK.

The UKHSA alert system, which works in collaboration with the Met Office, has four levels of alerts, green, yellow, amber and red, with red being the most serious.

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