UK heatwave: How the 1976 drought brought standpipes to the SW

As the dry weather continued, pressure grew to keep both people and livestock supplied with water.

In the Channel Islands, farmers and hoteliers were told to cut their water use by a quarter or risk prosecution.

Jersey saw its longest absolute drought since records began in 1894, with it lasting 39 days in 1976.

With grasslands turning to dust, livestock had to be fed with winter stores of straw.

Across the region and islands, people were urged to use less water wherever possible.

Some households shared bath water, while others reused it in their gardens.

Speaking to the BBC at the time, one man joked: “You’ve got real fertiliser in there, haven’t you? It’s all the dirt coming off the bodies.”