Devon Installed Street Standpipes for Thousands in 1976 Drought as Heat Stayed Above 30C
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 23
Devon Installed Street Standpipes for Thousands in 1976 Drought as Heat Stayed Above 30C
2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 23
Summary
Standpipes went into streets across parts of Devon by September 1976, leaving thousands dependent on them for daily water as shortages deepened.
Temperatures stayed above 30C and rainfall remained scarce after a dry 1975, driving rivers and reservoirs down to a fraction of normal capacity.
Jersey logged a record 39-day absolute drought, while farmers and hoteliers in the Channel Islands were ordered to cut water use by 25% or face prosecution.
Grasslands turned to dust, livestock were fed winter straw, and households reused bath water as the drought stretched into mid-October before weeks of rain slowly restored supplies.
The Met Office still ranks the summer that began on June 23, 1976 among the UK's driest and hottest, using it as a benchmark for later heatwaves.