I’m old enough to remember the summer of ‘76 as I recall it was long and hot, but it was prolonged drought that was the issue. Many reservoirs were almost out and in quite a few towns domestic water supplies were restricted. That meant people in the streets queuing to fill buckets from standpipes. There was a plan to lay a pipe in the outside lane of the M4 to bring water from Wales to London.

So yes, it stands out in people’s memory as extraordinary and sparked a substantial investment in new reservoir capacity.

What people forget is the slow but inexorable rise in temperatures since then.

Couldn't agree more, and the data just backs it all up. I'm guessing well get another 40 degree summer this year. As for the people, I'm assuming it's extreme denial from people who feel like they can't do anything/feel powerless.

Fun fact: it has actually never hit 38° in Miami. So it was hotter than (Miami) Florida.

We are beating all sorts of records, my concern is that the chnage seems to be speeding up.

We had a whole stretch a few weeks back where it basically didn't rain for 3 weeks.

I can imagine not! The heat here felt very unnatural, I kept wanting it to rain desperately.

It's true, I think realities of the situation will be very slowly sinking in for people in the next few years

I'm assuming another 40 degree summer

I'd quite like a year without hearing it!

Yeah it's the same headline almost every month, every year. The heat we currently have in a humid climate and without air con isn't very fun. I'm assuming everyone will be fitting air con in the next few years.

It is maddening, we seem to be stuck watching this happen in slow (well faster now) motion. I think a lot of people don't know exactly what to do, and while we try and make personal changes really we need government to regulate, cut subsidises etc.

Yep, very much so! We desperately need the government and business to step in and make meaningful change.