What the hottest places of 1976 look like today… and how Brits are STILL swarming to them to get reprieve from the record heat now forecast to last days longer 

Until yesterday it was the hottest June day in 50 years, but the record set in 1976 has now been broken.

The previous highest temperature of 35.6C, set during the legendary ten-week heatwave, was surpassed as the mercury reached 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire.

Britons are currently sweltering under a ‘heat dome’, which has led to a rare red weather warning from the Met Office, leading to school closures, travel disruption and even the cancellation of a conference over extreme heat.

This week’s soaring temperatures bring back memories of the scorching summer of 1976; People flock to the same places to escape the heat.

Photographs from half a century ago show the contrasts and connections between now and then.

In 1976, bathers enjoyed the beaches in seaside resorts such as Brighton, which this week were also packed with families and sun-lovers.

There is now an i360 observation tower on the beach, which opened in 2016.

Meanwhile, 50 years ago Londoners began cooling off at public fountains, including the flagship fountain in Trafalgar Square.

A similar pool was seen here this week; However, there are now ‘No Entry’ signs at the pools.

Crowds flocked to dive or bathe next to the Serpentine in London’s Hyde Park in 1976

Fifty years ago a doctor went so far as to recommend that people drink beer and eat chips to compensate for the salt lost through sweat; Many people happily followed this advice.

Brewers spoke of ‘extraordinary demand’ during 10 weeks of scorching heat.

Britons have similarly been filling pubs and beer gardens in recent weeks; This is helped by the heatwave that coincides with England and Scotland at the World Cup.

The British Beer and Pub Association estimates an extra 4 million pints would flow if Britain took on Ghana last night; This is worth an estimated £20 million to the industry, with similar increases expected in the future.

And just like in the 1976 picture of the Grenadier Guards parading in front of Buckingham Palace in London in thick, stuffy clothing, umbrellas or parasols were placed to protect them from the sun.

The summer of 1976 was partly due to very hot weather coming from the Mediterranean, and the drought was made worse by the lack of rainfall the previous summer; This meant that reservoirs and rivers were already low.

The highest temperature recorded that summer was July 3, when the mercury reached 96.6F (35.9C) in Cheltenham.

Temperatures in the town rose above 89.6F (32C) for seven consecutive days.

People took advantage of the fountains in London’s Trafalgar Square to cool off in June 2026

A similar basket maker was spotted here this week, even though there are ‘No Entry’ signs in the pools.

Fifty years later, the same tile attracted crowds overlooked by the Palace Pier

Brighton (pictured 26 June 1976) was among the many seaside resorts that were packed that summer.

At that year’s Wimbledon tennis championships, umpires were allowed to remove their jackets for the first time in history; In a single day, 400 people had to be treated for heat exhaustion.

In accordance with the national need for water conservation, the Queen ordered that the use of fountains be discontinued on the Palace grounds; In most of the UK, water is rationed between 6pm and 7am.

Residents were encouraged to alert authorities if neighbors were using water unnecessarily and bathing was only allowed with no more than 5 inches of water in the tub.

The main roads were full of overheated, broken down cars.

Other concerns from at least one police department about the highway included fears that there were women in bikinis. A police force warned it was a ‘major distraction’ for drivers.

Media reports also stated that students were having sex in the fields and farmers were worried about them causing harm.

But analysts also warned that the summer conditions of 1976 could have led to a decline in the birth rate as couples avoided sex in hot weather.

Behavioral psychologist Dr Robert Sharpe said: ‘It is undeniable that such increases in temperature tend to reduce sexual activity.’

And the following year births fell by more than 15,000 to 569,259; this is the lowest recorded figure in the 20th century.

As Grenadier Guards outside Buckingham Palace roasted in their heavy fatigues in June 1976, onlookers could try to stay a little cool with an umbrella.

A similar tactic is still being used to shade outside the palace during this heatwave

A man looks happy taking a stroll in the Trafalgar Square pool on June 13, 1976

Fifty years later, a woman is seen dipping her hand into the water beneath Nelson’s Column

Thousands of schools were closed on Wednesday, trains were canceled and passengers were warned not to travel ‘unless absolutely necessary’ due to a rare red heat warning.

A record temperature of 36.1 degrees was recorded at Gosport in Hampshire, surpassing the June high of 35.6 degrees set in 1976. Temperatures also eclipsed 35 degrees in Surrey, West Sussex, London, Dorset and Suffolk.

This is only the second time the Met Office has issued its most severe red alert for extreme heat; the last one was in July 2022, when the UK’s hottest ever temperature was recorded at 40.3C.

Forecasters said there was a small chance the UK would approach that record today.

Meanwhile, the All England Club was forced to suspend its Wimbledon qualifiers after its automated line-dialing system malfunctioned.

After it was decided that the chief referees could not make line calls and there was no substitute referee during the elimination, the players were taken off the field.

Despite widespread school closures, parents have been urged to send their children to school if their schools remain open.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: ‘I know hot weather can be challenging, but teachers are relaxing uniform rules, keeping classrooms cool and avoiding active activities.’

Motorists have been issued extreme heat warnings this summer, including on this section of the M1 motorway approaching London.

While many students are preparing to take jobs digitally, some schools are offering education for those who cannot stay at home.

Parents have also started fundraisers to help. One, for Dulwich Hamlet Secondary School in south London, raised more than £3,500 in 16 hours to buy portable air conditioning units, fans and playground pavilions.

More than 11,500 people have signed an online petition calling for the maximum temperature at which schools can legally remain open to be set. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for similar measures to be taken to include workplaces.

Speaking at Aldgate School, he said: ‘Events of biblical proportions that used to be seen once in a generation are now happening every year, whether it’s heatwaves. [or] flash flood ‘We couldn’t adapt.’

Testwood Lakes, near Southampton in Hampshire, was closed to the public after a 15-year-old boy seen swimming was reported missing. Naval forces units were also dispatched to the search efforts.

Meanwhile, Southeastern trains warned passengers they should “be prepared for a disrupted journey” and Transport for Wales canceled services due to extreme heat and train shortages.

Due to the heat wave, elderly people were advised to stay at home between 11.00 and 15.00.

Age UK’s Caroline Abrahams stressed that extreme heat warnings should be taken seriously.

The red alert, which extends from the Midlands to the south coast, will continue until tonight.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms in the South West this evening.