Scorched into the minds of a nation, the heatwave of 1976 is still recognised as one of the UK’s most iconic weather events.
Images of dried river beds, near-empty reservoirs and queues of people waiting their turn to collect water from standpipes accompany memories relentless sunshine and heat.
The summer stood out for not just how how high temperatures got, but also how long the heat lasted.
The country experienced two distinct peaks in heat: one that straddled the end of June and early July, with another through the middle part of August.
There were an incredible 15 consecutive days, from 23 June to 7 July, where somewhere in the UK recorded a temperature of 32.2C (90F) or higher.
London Heathrow notched up 16 consecutive days of 30C (86F) or more around the same time.
The hottest day of the summer was 3 July, when the mercury soared to 35.9C (97F) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
A June temperature record of 35.6C (96F) was set on the 28 June in Southampton.
