1976

When talking about summer heatwaves, the year that is often referred to is 1976. I was 12 at the time. We had a VW Beetle with leather seats which burned the back of your legs when you got into the car.

I remember that we went to Jersey that summer and enjoyed unbroken sunshine and the amazing landscapes of the island, including a trip to Gerald Durrell's zoo.

I have a useful book 

1976 was a summer of extremes.

However, it wasn't as extreme as the weather we had at the start of this week which messed up many of my plans (nothing in comparison to those families who lost their homes).

This EDP photo gallery shows how the local area was affected.