Today we bring you a snapshot of that summer thanks to a delve into our archives.
It has some familiar themes - rivers drying up, people struggling to keep cool and countryside around the West Midlands catching fire. There was even a town centre drama in Wolverhampton when a double decker bus overheated and caught fire.
The summer of 1995 was actually drier than 1976, and 2006 was hotter, but 1976 just seemed more memorable and seemed to go on forever.
It also led to long-term water restrictions, something we have so far escaped from in the West Midlands despite Severn Trent reservoirs being around half capacity.
Passengers jumped to safety off a double-decker bus when it over-heated and caught fire at Stafford Street, Wolverhampton in 1976. The driver raised the alarm after seeing flames coming from the engine.
Pc Dick Jarvis was pictured riding his horse on dawn patrol on Cannock Chase near Springfield House when this photograph was taken in September, 1976. The previous week the area had been subject to a forest fire at the height of the heatwave, and police officers were discouraging the public from using the heathland until the risk subsided.Oswestry Show, 1976. It was celebrated as one of the sunniest Oswestry Shows ever. The picture was taken on Thursday, July 29.Summer 1976 and people help fight grass fires. Location unknown.
1976 was the year when Brotherhood of Man triumphed at Eurovision, drought minister Denis Howell became the most famous man in the country with his Ed Davey-esque publicity stunts, and the crowd at Lords famously burst into a round of applause at a few drops of rain.
Trudy Allen and Denise Clift who were photographed in 1976 by the Express & Star in Walsall Arboretum during the heatwave
In Walsall, 17-year-olds Trudy Allen and Denise Clift made the most of the weather by relaxing in the town's Arboretum, where they took their sketch pads and spent he day drawing. In Oswestry, teacher Miss M Jones decided the classroom at Bellen House School was too hot, so took the youngsters into Cae Glas Park for an alfresco reading leasson.
The top of Haughmond Hill after a major fire in the summer of 1976. The caption pasted on the back of this print reads 'Acres of devastation... the once famous beauty spot of Haughmond Hill reduced to smouldering and charred devastation as seen in this aerial picture.' Firefighters fought this fire for days. The drought had caused tinderbox conditions. Peter Watkin standing on the dry river bed of the Rhiew at the Revel Bridge during the drought, August 1976. The dry river bed reached up to the Berriew village bridge.A family using a standpipe after Operation Switch Off cut their water supplyA famous picture from the drought of 1976 as firemen battle with the flames on Haughmond Hill.
But while it was great fun for the younger generation, it also caused some problems. Cannock Chase had to be sealed off from the public after being hit by a spate of forest fires, and the Elan Valley reservoir in Mid Wales - which supplied the West Midlands' water supply - came perilously close to running out of water. In Shrewsbury, fire crews were forced to draft in military Green Goddess fire engines after record demand meant every single one of its regular machines was tied up
Flashback to the drought of 1976, as minister Lord Howell visits one of the streets being forced to use a standpipeThe drought of 1976, when many waterways and lakes across the West Midlands simply dried up completely. This image shows Steven Pain and Simone Ireland at the nearly empty lake in Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge. Large areas normally under water were exposed.Workshop staff at Shrewsbury Fire Station prepare a Green Goddess fire engine for service for use during the drought of 1976. This picture dates from about August 24, 1976.Residents were hoping for rain after the worst drought in memory because of jokes about the name of the street. The photograph in Water Street shows Lindsy Fisher, Elizabeth Heath, Susan Fisher, Christine Heath and Sharon Fisher, all with umbrellas. Cannock Chase was closed to the public in 1976 following the extended dry spell to cut down the risk of fires. The photograph shows wardens on duty. The Chase was hit by forest fires during the sizzling hot summer of 1976. Beating the flames on Cannock Chase in 1976‘An outdoor lesson for children of Bellan House School, Oswestry. Class teacher Miss M. Jones took the youngsters into Cae Glas park for a reading lesson.’The reservoir in the Elan Valley pictured during the great drought during the summer of 1976. This is the Garreg Ddu dam. Sheila Standish, of the 3rd Wombourne Girl Guides, is pictured on a camping trip to Shipley Bank Farm, near Pattingham, in 1976.Army Green Goddess fire engines were on standby at Shrewsbury fire station in 1976 as demands on the fire services soaredThe dried-up River Severn in Bewdley, pictured by Charles Kenchington during the drought of 1976The Chase was hit by forest fires during the sizzling hot summer of 1976
The 1976 drought was intensified because 1975 had also been a dry summer.
Our current drought in 2025 comes after a relatively wet winter, which has helped protect reservoir levels.
There have been at least three official heatwave spells this year, which have merged to create a sustained dry period.
There is some sign of change, with more unsettled weather set to bring some much needed rainfall to the region for the next few days.
We'd love to hear of your memories - leave them in the comments below.
