But What About the Summer of 1976?: Britain's New Normal of Record-Breaking Heat and Drought

Walking through Windsor Great Park almost feels like strolling through a less authentic version of Arizona’s deserts. What was once a green, pleasant, Tolkienesque picture of fertile land and vibrant wildlife has transformed into a depressing shadow of its former self. The UK’s (formerly) green spaces have turned into a stark reminder of our changing climate and the consequent growing unpredictability of our weather. The reason behind this transformation is simple: record-breaking heat and record-breaking drought. However, what makes this weather even harder to bear is the fact that it coincides with record profits for water companies, and the construction of £100bn worth of AI data centres, which consume vast quantities of water at a time when water bills are skyrocketing and natural water sources are drying up.

Record-Breaking Heat

With 37.7°C recorded in Norfolk, 2026 set a record for June temperatures, surpassing the previous record of 35.6°C set in 1976. The perennial issue with heatwaves in the UK is that they will always be compared to the summer of 1976. What set 1976 apart from other heatwaves was that it was an anomalous year; it was “unprecedented”. The current problem, however, is that this previously “unprecedented” year has become our new normal. It seems as though every summer we are faced with extreme temperatures, and the frustration is that upon recognising this, climate activists and meteorologists are met with the interminable phrase: “but what about the summer of 1976?” 

By mid-August 2026, the UK had already faced five separate heatwaves. The Met Office characterises the main difference between 1976 and 2026 as one of duration vs intensity. 1976 saw a prolonged period of extremely high daytime temperatures. This year, however, the heat has arrived in ‘spikes.’ There are two further reasons why the heat this year just feels oppressive: high nighttime temperatures and high humidity. The Met Office states that during the entirety of the 1976 heatwave, only three nights saw temperatures remain above 22°C – by comparison, in 2026 we have seen four nights above 22°C in one week alone. Humidity compounds the problem. 1976 was characterised by a dry heat; 2026, by contrast, has been distinguished by extremely high humidity owing to Atlantic air becoming trapped under high pressure. 

As a result of these high temperatures, the UK is set to break its record on heat-related deaths, with the Met Office attributing at least 42% of these to increased temperatures owing to anthropogenic climate change. Unfortunately, high temperatures only tell half the story of this year’s climate saga.

Record-Breaking Drought

July 2026 saw just 0.2mm of rainfall in Surrey and Greater London, with drought conditions prompting hosepipe bans across much of England and rising water bills for households, on top of the increase in water bills in 2024. By contrast, water company bosses and executives have seen their pay packets rise by 1.5% despite a government ban on bonuses, with Anglian Water CEO receiving £1.9 million and a £500,000 ‘retention payment.’

Amid rising bills, poor water quality and growing water scarcity, rising pay packages for water company executives are difficult to justify. Households are being asked to pay more for a service that is increasingly under strain and getting worse, yet those at the top are being rewarded with higher pay. At what point does that stop being sustainable?

Something Must Change

The problem is not only that weather-patterns are becoming more extreme. It is also how poorly prepared we are for what that entails. This summer’s heat has caused major disruption, higher household bills, record-breaking excess heat deaths and even the politicisation of issues such as air conditioning. However, nothing has been hit as hard as our natural environment. 

The extreme heat and drought of the summer of 2026 have caused a decline in insect, fish and amphibian populations, which subsequently has affected bird survival rates. Protecting these ecosystems will require more than asking individuals to change their behaviour. It will require us to rethink how we manage our water infrastructure and natural resources. Yet there is reason for optimism. The UK has become a global leader in wildlife conservation, with some of the most successful examples of rewilding projects – namely the reintroduction of the Beaver, and the European Bison. These projects are reinventing our ecosystems, demonstrating how quickly nature can adapt, if given the chance. That should give us reason for optimism, but also a reason to act; environmental decline is not inevitable.

We are now living in an age where water companies are making record profits, and AI data centres consume vast quantities of water, yet ordinary people and our ecosystems are expected to bear the consequences. We cannot control the weather, but we can decide how we respond to it, how we manage our resources, and who bears the cost when those resources become scarce. As households are encouraged to conserve water, billions are being invested in AI infrastructure whose own demands for water and energy are substantial. Innovation is not the enemy, but neither should it be treated as environmentally consequence-free.

Constant comparisons to 1976 no longer mean anything. Heatwaves are becoming the new norm. Climate change is here to stay, and unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, we must get used to hearing the term ‘record-breaking’ over and over again. But autumn will soon be upon us, followed by winter. Green grass will return, and empty ponds will refill. What is crucial is that once the rain properly returns, we do not forget what life was like without it.

Government and water companies must address our water infrastructure. Britain has not built new reservoirs in 35 years, and construction of a new one in Oxfordshire only began last year. But even that project has been beset by delays and obstacles, reflecting a wider problem: our ability to adapt our infrastructure has not kept pace with the changing climate. Water companies need to invest in the infrastructure needed to secure our water supply, from new reservoirs and storage capacity to repairing leaking pipes and reducing waste. Crucially, however, this investment should not come at the expense of the already-squeezed consumer. If water companies have failed to adequately invest in our infrastructure, the burden of putting it right should not fall on households struggling to keep up with rising bills.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Stephen Craven

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