Summer benchmark

For many of us, the summer of 1976 stands as the benchmark for extreme heat.

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A year that brought severe drought, national water rationing, and a scorching 35.9°C in Cheltenhamat the time, the second hottest day on record. It felt unprecedented.

Yet, a look at the latest Met Office figures, with records stretching back to 1884, reveals a clear and concerning trend. Four of the five highest UK temperatures have occurred since 2019. Topping the list is a staggering 40.3°C recorded in Lincolnshire in July 2022, with Cambridge hitting 38.7°C in 2019. The 1976 record now sits at a distant 13th place.