Cambridgeshire Live readers have been looking back on the long, hot summer of 1976 as the UK faces the hottest summer on record in 2026
Cambridgeshire Live readers have been reminiscing about the scorching summer of 1976, now half a century ago. While Cambridgeshire and the remainder of the UK is experiencing the hottest summer on record, a look back 50 years reveals the county endured one of its most sweltering summers then, too.
Residents in 1976 also faced a drought, just as we are experiencing this year. During 1976, temperatures throughout June, July, and August remained consistently in the high 20s and low 30s.
There was no rainfall for 16 months, making it the driest spell in over 250 years at that time. Village ponds started to dry up and firefighters were deployed to replenish them.
In Cambridgeshire, Grafham Water dried up enough to reveal trees that had been underwater since it was filled during the 1960s. Several of Cambridge’s beloved green spaces also required watering to stop them from becoming parched.
The summer of 1976, with its drought and heat, has much in common with the hot summer we are experiencing this year. In 2026, there has been an increase in field fires across Cambridgeshire due to dry grass, and hosepipe bans have been introduced. Temperatures have also exceeded 30C on many days, with the county hit by its fifth heatwave this year.
One reader, Skipper asks: “So – why do we need net zero? 76 for me was a great year. Every weekend was another day in a hot and sunny paradise.”
Henryfrog believes: “2026 easily had 76 beaten, and it’s not even over yet. We’ve also had 4 other record breakers just in the last 10 years. That’s rapid acceleration of climate change in action, and humans are to blame.”
Calumen Nomen replies: “By that logic, humans must have been ‘to blame’ for last year’s carp summer, then, too? Or is that an ‘inconvenient truth’?”
Banallbikes says: “It’s hot because it’s summer, it happens every year.”
Liveincrete asks: “How many so called wild fires was there in 1976 in comparison to this year?”
Over on our Facebook page, Patrick D. L comments: “The difference was that ’76 was an isolated, extremely hot, dry summer. Now, we have a lot of extremely hot, dry summers.”
Bridget D replies: “It wasn’t isolated. 1975 was very hot and dry, too.”
Graham E says: “I remember the summer of 76 in the UK and to say ”Now, we have a lot of extremely hot, dry summers.” is stretching the truth to say the least because we’ve had the odd 3 or 4 days to a week but definitely not summers like that, i.e., several weeks of it.”
Colin A says: “Mother nature, nature can be a great leveller, so I wonder what we will be talking about in twelve months’ time.”
Adrian W writes: “Rather subdued hazy skies with somnolent heat, and I preferred the ‘75 summer after the early June cold patch; beautiful blue skies for fruit-picking after A Levels.”
Do you think that the legendary summer of 1976 can be compared to the extreme weather we are currently enduring? Comment below or HERE to have your say.
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