I remember the heatwave of 1976 very clearly as I was living in Plaistow and was on my summer break starting from 23rd June when I was 12 years of age attending the Cumberland Road Comprehensive school and by the time it ended in September when the rains came, I would be 13 years of age as my birthday was at the end of July. I remember the standpipes where queues of people would come to go and get water.
Now whenever there is a heatwave, I have flashbacks of standpipes in the street and so it makes me extra careful with my water use, except for drinking water. It happened to me last years.
I am now counting the days when there will be a cool down and hopefully it will be done with thunder and lightning or a deep low from the Atlantic.