Heatwaves of 1976 and 2026 - 50 years and a world apart

Part one of two articles:

It is widely agreed that this summer has been exceptionally hot, not just in England and Wales but across wide swathes of the globe, with heatwaves as far-ranging as Europe, East Asia, and North America.

Although many people have enjoyed the unusually dry British weather, most Brits agree there have been times when it has been just too hot! Possibly, the only people without complaints are those who sell air conditioning units, sales of which have surged over 300% (BBC News).  

The effects globally are wide-ranging, from the tragic to the bizarre: apart from the inevitable heat-related deaths, now measuring in the many thousands; wildfires are raging across large swathes of Europe and Canada, and widespread droughts have been declared. Knock-on effects are felt in agriculture, with UK farmers having to consider changing crops to allow for the changing climate.  Apple farmers are having to apply ‘suncream’ – a clay mix to protect their Bramley crops from sunburn! (BBC News).  

It may be an amusing concept to consider apples getting a daily dose of sun cream, but it belies a serious problem. For years, UK vegetable and salad growers of crops like broccoli, tomatoes, and lettuce have thrived. However, with increasing temperatures and droughts, these crops are struggling to meet demand - so imports are on the rise.

This leads to both an increased carbon footprint and higher prices for consumers. Resilient crops such as carrots and chard are faring better. But these do not give as good a financial yield per hectare, and if they are the only crops that farmers can grow, the value will drop with an oversupply on the market. Whilst farmers may have to look at changing crops or varieties, improving moisture retention, and other methods to cope with the heatwaves, there are also challenges for the UK’s arable landscape too with many cereal crops failing.  

What about 1976?

If you ask anyone (over a certain age) about this exceptionally hot summer, the first thing in reply often relates to the legendary hot summer of 1976, coincidentally exactly 50 years ago. Famously, this heatwave brought 16 consecutive days where the UK Heathrow temperature exceeded 30 degrees Celsius. Is that so shocking? Probably not as much as it should be today.  

So, was the heatwave of 1976 truly exceptional? 

The heatwave of 1976 was, crucially, much more localised to the British Isles than the 2026 summer has been. It was caused by a stationary anticyclone weather system blocking high pressure and trapping hot, dry air over the UK for an extended period. This was further exacerbated by an existing drought; a particularly dry 1975 had left rivers and reservoirs at a perilously low level. The dry soil amplified the hot weather conditions as there was no moisture in the soil to evaporate and provide a cooling effect.  

All these factors combined and led to extensive fires, and crop failures, firmly implanting 1976’s summer into people’s memories as the hottest summer of the 20^th century.  

Interestingly, there have been other summers to note; 1995’s summer took the crown as the driest summer. The hottest temperature on record before 1976 was set in 1911 at 36.7°C (in 1976 it was 35.9°C). The current record is a staggering 40.3°C, recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire in July 2022. In fact, the 1976 top temperature is no longer in the top ten on record  (Figure 2, see below.)  

How does the heatwave of 1976 compare with 2026? 

The heatwave of 1976 was notable for its duration. There were 16 consecutive days when the temperature was recorded to be over 30°C, fifteen of which exceeded 32°C. Summer 2026 has a different pattern as the heat has not been continuous.  The UK has had a series of heatwaves. 

The Met Office defines a heatwave as a period of at least three consecutive days where the temperature meets or exceeds a specific local threshold – usually between 25°C and 28°C depending on location.  

How does the heatwave of 1976 compare with 2026? 

The heatwaves of this summer were relentless. By 15 July more days were recorded as exceeding 30°C than in the whole of 1976.  Also, by 15 July the UK’s mean temperature was sitting at 1.8°C above the long-term meteorological average (Met Office.)

It is important to note that, whilst multiple temperature records have been broken in both England and Wales, the heat in Scotland and Northern Ireland has not been as extreme, at 0.9°C and 1.3°C above their seasonal averages respectively.

But the Met Office has announced that, even with an average August, 2026 in the UK is on track to be the hottest year on record, beating the record set by last year! 

How heat is perceived?

Multiple factors play in to how heat is perceived; with dry heat typically being more bearable than humid conditions.

This made the May heatwave feel considerably more pleasant than its June equivalent. So called ‘tropical’ nights, shown by the high daily minimums recorded in June also tend to lead to more illness and deaths as vulnerable people struggle to gain a respite from the heat.

It is estimated in the UK that around 2,200 people died because of the heatwave in June alone (Barnes et al.)  

Across Europe and the rest of the world 

Mainland Western Europe has seen even greater extremes, with temperatures of over 40°C regularly being recorded across the continent.

Temperature records have been broken in over 15 European countries including Germany, Italy and Slovakia. Global annual mean temperatures are currently tracking at around 1.45°C above the pre-industrial revolution average, dangerously near the famous 1.5°C threshold.  

This puts 2026 on track to be the third warmest year globally on record, just slightly behind 2024 and 2025. Wildfires have broken out across wide swathes of the continent with over 500,000 hectares of land in the EU burned since January (over treble the average). With an incredibly powerful El Niño intensifying in the Pacific and the resultant ocean temperatures (the world’s oceans measured at their hottest ever July temperature) the risk of extreme weather will only increase in the latter half of 2026 and into 2027.  

Discover how an El Niño works in our next article on what causes heatwaves and other weather events.  

References:

BBC News, 3 August 2026. We Suncream Apples. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy4pdlwdxlo. Accessed 5 August 2026 

BBC News, 26 June 2026. Record temperatures drives up home air conditioning sales. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wyl2glg93o. Accessed 5 August 2026 

Sky News, 11 August 2026. UK Heatwave: Britain’s green landscapes turn brown as river levels drop. https://news.sky.com/story/uk-heatwave-britains-green-landscapes-turn-brown-as-river-flows-drop-12669994. Accessed 11 August 2026 

Met Office, Various Statistics and Records: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ Accessed 5 August - 13 August 2026.  

Met Office, 1 July 2026 Deep Dive: How does June 2026 compare with the summer of 1976? https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2026/deep-dive-how-does-june-2026-compare-with-the-summer-of-1976. Accessed 5 August 2026.  

BBC News, 11 August 2026. Summer 2026 on course to be UK's hottest on record, says Met Office. https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/cn8n9pg54m1o. Accessed 13 August 2026. 

BBC News, 15 July 2026. Climate we had in 20th Century 'has now gone' - Met Office. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c802041g4v8o. Accessed 5 August 2026.  

Barnes et al, 2026, Climate change increases heat-health risks from 2026’s May and June heatwaves, Imperial College London. https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/entities/publication/51036db8-6544-4d7a-b51c-1b1301a77823. Accessed 12 August 2026.  

BBC News, 10 August 2026. World's oceans hit record-high July temperatures. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvw8vmmgrwo