Is the heatwave hotter than the summer of 1976?

I too was pregnant with my son during that summer, he was born the following February. I had morning sickness, a 2 year old, no garden and from my memory it was absolutely unbearable. ?

I remember 1976 very well. I had a 18 month old and suddenly developed meningitis after mumps and I was so ill. In hospital I had to be barrier nursed as they suspected Lassa Fever, remember that scare? So I was in an oven of a room, on my own, no one came in. I had a lumbar puncture to diagnose meningitis so had to lay flat for days and days or I got the most horrendous headaches. My H and D weren’t allowed to visit, just look from the door. I was so miserable and upset. My parents came to look after my D but we lived in a very insulated little bungalow which was like an oven so they slept with both front and back doors open for some air!

After I was discharged, I suffered these headaches for weeks during all that heat. Eventually I’d be persuaded by my mum to quickly walk to the park, lay on a bench in the shade for a little while, then go home to lay down again. The only thing that helped was frozen face cloths on my forehead which immediately heated up and had to be swapped for another one! My poor mum!

I got pregnant and my son wasn’t a well child for a long time, suffered from poor teeth and illnesses presumably because I wasn’t 100% fit. He’s a strapping 6’2” 44 yr old now, I’ll never forget that year.

I was a teacher way back in ‘76, so we went camping to Scotland in August. It was the first time I had camped. We kept hearing about the heatwave in England, but it rained quite a lot where we were. After a few days of dodging the rain and millions of midges, we got a mini flood inside our tent and decided to come home early! I don’t think we ever went camping again!

My son was also born in July 1976, a week early. The heatwave went on for weeks and my baby wore only nappies for weeks. I also had a three year old daughter so couldn't rest much. Good job I was young and fit!

In Israel it is an accepted fact that the heat in the summer becomes harder to bear the older you get. However, it does depend as well on your own constitution.

I have boundless energy the hotter it gets and eat like a horse in hot weather too, I have learnt I am in a minority here, but I just wish the whole summer would be like the last few weeks. Denmark had a very late, cold and wet spring, so we have really enjoyed the last six or eight weeks of high temperature and dry weather.

To those who find it trying: are you quite sure you are drinking sufficient water in the course of the day? If you are sweating a lot, then you are not drinking enough water.

It should be fairly easy to check the Met. Office statistics for 1976, and for the previous hot summer, which was if I remember correctly 1960.

Just saw a quiz in Candis magazine, said there were 15 days in a row with temps of 32.2 degrees c. Where we, were, in North Devon, there was no rain from mid April to October.

I remember it well I had 9 month old twins and a 2.5 year old. I remember queuing at the standpipe for water and trying to keep the kids and I cool- some hope!! Ex H was his usual unhelpful, hands off self ! Couldn’t cope with this heat and babies/toddlers now though I’m much too old ?!

I remember it well. I was lucky to be working in a building with air con but oh the misery of going home each day to a stuffy top floor flat - no balcony, no garden and certainly no shower. What I remember most of all was being able to make plans to meet up with friends for a picnic or a walk in the countryside and know that the weather would be perfect.
( I also remember being in love with someone that I wasn’t meant to be in love with. But that’s another story. Sigh.)

we were living in Ringwood then and everywhere tinder dry - worried about leaving the house for too long. a nice memory - seeing glow worms at night in the garden.

Its strange, on here, ive noticed that the rain broke the heatwave but in different places at very different times- some had it august, or it lasted in some places right up to September or even as far as october!??

Didn't we have a bit of a heatwave a couple of years ago i remember they fitted me a new boiler/pipes system and i stayed (mostly) out in garden to get away a bit from the banging & clattering they were doing- and i got nice golden legs for a change(wore lots of sunscreen though)?☀️

I had a one year old and a five year old. I remember one horrid hot day when I was stranded with pushchair in city no transport or shade. But then also wild camping as s family in the Forest of Bowland (witches country) for two weeks where it rained. Found out after it was the only place it had! Unbelievable then back to the hot city.
I am very worried now about how my grandchildren are coping but I don’t remember mine having any problems then….

DanniRae

OMG I don't even remember the heat wave of 1976! I had two children of 5 and 3 and was a stay at home mum. I have diaries going back that far I will take a look

I will be back.........

Ok found my 1976 diary and yes I did comment on the weather but just in passing. Very strange to read about my girls - now 48 (and a mother herself) and 50 - as little ones! I guess when I am gone and they read all the diaries it will be weird for them too!

Yes our water was cut right off for a long time when we had the stand pipes & stayed off think only on a couple of hours a day (yorkshire) the water company delivered us 5 gallon containers to get water at the pipe.

25Avalon- never mind its supposed to be good luck for it to rain on your wedding day!?

It's gone already!
There's a lovely breeze here.

Don’t think it was this hot but felt like it to me as I was pregnant with my eldest dd and she wasn’t born until mid September when it rained!

We are about to say goodbye to the sun today so make the most of it. It’s only been a few days....I will miss it when it’s gone. Had a lovely swim in the sea this week on a day out, that won’t happen again for a long time, if ever. My knees and hips are beginning to play up...

Probably not. Not yet anyway.

The highest temperatures of '76 haven't been reached yet, although there's plenty of time. The current heat wave hasn't gone on for as long either, and unless it extends into September it won't.

The thing about 1976 is that sunny weather and high temperatures went on and on and on for weeks. I particularly remember going to a party at the Reading University boathouse at the beginning of June with steady drizzle all day. I don't recall seeing rain after that until the end of August.

And the photos of dried up, cracked bone dry reservoirs. I worked in an office opposite Hammersmith Fire Station and every hour or so the sirens would start up as they went to another emergency! My office had no aircon so windows were open all the time. Gee, I'm glad I don't have to go work!

westendgirl

I remember emptying the bath to water the garden. Weren't we told to share the bath water or was that another time ?

You're right, "save water, bath with a friend" was the slogan they used.

I remember it well - my youngest was born on the 7th September - it started to rain on the 8th - all the young mums went outside to dance in the rain! It was hell - temperatures at night did not drop below 72 Fahrenheit for days on end - week after week- month after month - unforgettable ???

I was also pregnant and the heatwave went on for ages, many weekks. This one is just days......5 days where I am living.
In 1976 a close friend's mother had to use stand pipe in the street as all households had water cut off and that was in Yorkshire.
London was diabolical.

I think 76 was hotter as it lasted a lot longer

I remember standpipes in the street as they'd cut the water off for long periods. The heat went on for week after week and we were desperate for rain. What we've got now is mild compared to that. And I was young and fit and joined a tennis club! Ah, those were the days.