The UK's sweltering summer of 1976 still lingers in the memories of those who lived through it - a time when temperatures hit a record 35.9C in Gloucestershire, crippling crops and leaving £500m of losses in its wake. The economic toll was felt far and wide, with food prices soaring to unsustainable levels.
Fast forward five decades, and the UK is facing a harsh new reality: climate scientists warn that heatwaves like 1976 will become increasingly common due to global warming, posing serious threats to people, nature, and the economy. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of days exceeding 30C more than trebled compared with the 1961-1990 average.
Farmers are among those hardest hit by the changing climate. Peter Appleton, who runs a dairy farm in East Sussex, has had to rethink his strategy entirely. Gone are the days of relying on irrigation; instead, he now focuses on water retention and grows drought-resistant crops like maize for animal feed - a drastic departure from 50 years ago.
Experts warn that even plants are not immune to the heat. Guy Barter, chief horticulturalist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), cautions that photosynthesis breaks down when temperatures soar above 30C. To mitigate this, he advises gardeners to opt for hardy, drought-tolerant plants like lavenders, phlomis, and cistus - species designed to thrive in scorching conditions.