It’s 50 years since Britain sweltered through the incredible summer heatwave of 1976
Fifty years have passed since Britain basked, sweated and sweltered through the great heatwave of 1976, a summer when the UK felt as if it had temporarily relocated to the Mediterranean. Day after day under cloudless skies, the sun blazed down as millions headed for the seaside, countryside and local parks, or simply lounged in their back gardens trying to stay cool.
After warmer than usual temperatures during April and May, the intense heat settled in from mid-June and stayed until the end of August, with the fiercest spell coming in a scorching two-week run between June 23 and July 8. The balmy weather regularly made front page news in the Evening Chronicle. On June 23, the headline read "Another warm week ahead", while two days later the paper reported "Britain scorches in Euro sunshine" as cars making for the Hoppings on Newcastle Town Moor were breaking down due to their radiators overheating.
The period continues to evoke much nostalgia. Popular hits at the time included "You To Me Are Everything" by the Real Thing, "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton and "Let's Stick Together" by Bryan Ferry. On television, The Bionic Woman starring Lindsey Wagner made its debut, while Tyneside athlete Brendan Foster won bronze in the 10,000 metres at the Olympic Games broadcast live from Montreal.
As June turned into July, the Chronicle warned "Cool It There's more on the way". Daytime temperatures in Newcastle were reaching 25.5°C, with pubs doing brisk business and some running out of beer, while ice cream suppliers were pushed to the limit.
However, the heat brought serious consequences. North East hospitals treated hundreds daily for sunburn and dehydration, and the Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade warned that heat-scorched grassy areas were becoming virtual tinderboxes. Nationally, temperatures regularly exceeded 30°C, peaking at 35.9°C in Cheltenham on July 3, with some areas experiencing no rain for months during the UK's most severe drought for generations.