From 1976 Heatwave to Today: How Farms and Gardens Beat the Blaze!

The summer of 1976 is remembered as one of the hottest and driest in England, especially in the south-east. Temperatures reached a high of 35. 9 degrees Celsius in Gloucestershire, and the lack of rain led to a drought. The government had to step in and appoint a special minister to help with water shortages. Farmers struggled to feed their animals because the grass and crops dried up. Peter Appleton, who grew up on a farm in East Sussex, recalls that only the parts of the farm that could be watered stayed green. The rest of the land turned brown, making it very difficult to grow enough food for the cows.

Since then, farmers like Peter have changed the way they work to deal with hot and dry weather. Peter now runs the family dairy farm and says that they use different methods to keep water in the soil. They grow crops that can survive with less water, like drought-resistant maize, and try not to plough the land unless it is necessary. These changes have made the farm much more resilient to extreme weather. Peter says that while 2026 has had enough rain so far, he has noticed that very hot days are happening more often.

Experts like Guy Barter from the Royal Horticultural Society say that plants do not grow as well when it is very hot. When temperatures go above 30 degrees Celsius, plants cannot make food as easily, and lawns turn brown. However, some plants, like those from deserts, do well in the heat. Guy suggests that gardeners should start using plants that do not need much water, such as lavender and other Mediterranean plants. Scientists agree that heatwaves like the one in 1976 are becoming more common because of climate change. The United Nations climate panel has said that human activities, especially greenhouse gas emissions, are causing global warming. The Met Office warns that if nothing is done, temperatures in England could reach 45 degrees Celsius by 2056. In the past ten years, temperatures have gone above 35 degrees Celsius several times, showing that hot summers are no longer rare.