With UK temperatures soaring and today set to be the hottest day of the year so far, today we are stepping back in time to another sweltering summer - the heatwave of 1976.
Between June 23 and July 7 of that year, temperatures exceeded 32C every day at one or more weather stations in the UK - reservoirs dried up, river levels dropped and some dwindled to a trickle.
The introduction of a special Drought Bill gave sweeping powers to local authorities that enabled them to wield heavy fines on people caught wasting water.
The severe drought also had some unexpected consequences.
Swarms of ladybirds descended onto our coasts after they bred in phenomenal numbers.
We hope you enjoy these old photos of the 1976 heatwave and they bring back happy memories of that long, hot summer.
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