Memories of the summer of 1976 heatwave in Weymouth

The summer heat was finally with us last week and saw people flocking to Weymouth beach with traders delighted to see business booming as people made the most of the good weather.

So it seems appropriate to cast our minds back to the summer of 1976, a long recorded spell of hot weather - and a time when Dorset was bizarrely besieged by ladybirds!

Back then the south west of England went for 45 days without any rain at all.

The heatwave of 1976 was the hottest since records began and was accompanied by a severe drought.

The mercury reached 35.6 Celsius in Southampton that June 28, the highest June temperature ever recorded in Britain.

Hard-pressed fire crews battled terrifying fires in the tinder-dry New Forest, Hurn and Sturminster Marshall.

A fire in Sturminster Marshall

The heatwave ended with a thunderstorm in September - days after the government appointed a minister to deal with the drought.

Remarkably - people were even attacked by ladybirds!

They were hungry because there weren’t any aphids to eat so they started biting humans instead.

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One reader has clear memories of the 'ladybird explosion'

"I was 10 in 1976 and can remember roads melting so that tarmac stuck to our shoes and our cows' hooves; frequent thunderstorms; the ladybird explosion (literally hordes of them everywhere) and fires breaking out in barns on farms.

"I can recall seeing smoke coming from the bales in our own family farm's barn and my father having to quickly douse the bales with water to stop them igniting into flames."

People remember being attacked by 'a swarm of ladybirds' (Image: Pixabay)

Another reader remembers: "We were on the beach in Weston-Super-Mare the summer of 76, when we were attacked by a swarm of ladybirds with very sharp bites.

"With very young children screaming we had to make a run to safety.

"Also our tap water was brown for many weeks and had to boiled before use. The hot spell was difficult to cope with due to the water problems."

Diving off the Pleasure Pier in Weymouth (Image: Supplied)

As a way of staying cool, readers have memories of diving off the Pleasure Pier in Weymouth.

One said: "I used to work in the cafe with my brother Bernard Lea. Really good hourly rate I remember, and it was great after a shift to just dive into the water. 1976 was a cracker of a summer, great times.

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The water shortage made the front page of the Echo on July 28, 1976, with a larger than usual invasion of holidaymakers putting a strain on Dorset’s drought-hit water supply and people having to drink from standpipes.

A sign at one of the entrances to Bridport

The Wessex Water Authority, which supplied an area stretching from Lyme Regis to Marlborough, reported that the population in the area during the heatwave had soared from 50,000 to 1,250,000 since the peak holiday season began.

One of the big water-saving campaigns that year was to 'bath with a friend'.

A very topical float at Bridport Carnival

In August 1976 Milton Abbas, reached 45 days without rain and heath fires became a frighteningly common occurrence. Poole firefighters fought a blaze at Canford Heath, while thousands of trees were destroyed at Ebblake, near Ringwood, Matchams and Avon Causeway. Brownsea Island was closed to the public because of the risk.

A Save the Water campaign encouraged a 20 per cent reduction in the amount of water used - but it was less in Dorset because of the number of visitors not affected by the restrictions.

A 1976 thermometer

Max King, Avon and Dorset divisional director, said: “We think that if the public continue to operate as they have since our Save the Water campaign started that we shall not have to take more extreme measures such as rationing water or using standpipes.

"I am grateful for the way members of the public have responded.”

Memories of that sweltering summer remain strong for readers.

In the picture of Weymouth Pavilion one has named the cars in the forecourt as: "Allegro in a fine shade of beige taking pride of place, naturally, and a Mk1 Escort, something Japanese, perhaps a Toyota, a lovely red Hillman Imp."

A downpour finally ended the 1976 drought and people were seen dancing in the streets.