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Brits are set to enjoy the longest unbroken spell of hot weather since the legendary summer of 1976.

This summer is expected to match the record set 42 years ago, where at least one weather station recorded over 28C for 18 consecutive days.

The UK has so far enjoyed 12 days in a row of warm weather, with Brits flocking to parks, beaches and pub gardens to soak up the sun.

Water companies are reminding people to save water with short showers and avoid using hosepipes as demand continues to surge in the dry weather.

In 1976, water was strictly rationed as parts of the south west went 45 days without rain. However, temperatures were considerably higher than this year, with a peak of 35.9C recorded in July.

The famous heatwave of 1976 - In pictures 19 show all The famous heatwave of 1976 - In pictures 1/19 Cooling off in the fountains at Trafalgar Square Asssociated Newspapers 2/19 A Londoner sunbathing in Kensington Gardens with a knotted handkerchief protecting his head from the sunshine Getty Images 3/19 Some enterprising bathers use the bridge at the Serpentine as a diving platform in a bid to keep cool PA 4/19 A woman soaks up the sunshine in a convertible car 5/19 The scene at the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park as people enjoy the heatwave PA 6/19 Spectators at Wimbledon Tennis Championships protect themselves from the sun wearing newspaper hats Getty Images 7/19 A packed Brighton Beach PA 8/19 Two women enjoy the rooftops views and heatwave Asssociated Newspapers 9/19 Sunbathers enjoy the heatwave by the Serpentine in Hyde Park Asssociated Newspapers 10/19 A woman and child splash around in the fountains at Trafalgar Square Asssociated Newspapers 11/19 Crowds gather at the Serpentine in Hyde Park PA 12/19 Two London policemen take the weight off their feet during the heatwave, whilst patrolling the park Evening Standard/Getty Images 13/19 A couple enjoy a boat ride Asssociated Newspapers 14/19 Sunbathers on the beach at Brighton PA 15/19 Twop women cool off under a outside shower Asssociated Newspapers 16/19 People enjoy the cool water in the fountains at Trafalgar Square Asssociated Newspapers 17/19 A woman sunbathing at Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) 18/19 Sunbathers on the beach at Brighton PA 19/19 Asssociated Newspapers 1/19 Cooling off in the fountains at Trafalgar Square Asssociated Newspapers 2/19 A Londoner sunbathing in Kensington Gardens with a knotted handkerchief protecting his head from the sunshine Getty Images 3/19 Some enterprising bathers use the bridge at the Serpentine as a diving platform in a bid to keep cool PA 4/19 A woman soaks up the sunshine in a convertible car 5/19 The scene at the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park as people enjoy the heatwave PA 6/19 Spectators at Wimbledon Tennis Championships protect themselves from the sun wearing newspaper hats Getty Images 7/19 A packed Brighton Beach PA 8/19 Two women enjoy the rooftops views and heatwave Asssociated Newspapers 9/19 Sunbathers enjoy the heatwave by the Serpentine in Hyde Park Asssociated Newspapers 10/19 A woman and child splash around in the fountains at Trafalgar Square Asssociated Newspapers 11/19 Crowds gather at the Serpentine in Hyde Park PA 12/19 Two London policemen take the weight off their feet during the heatwave, whilst patrolling the park Evening Standard/Getty Images 13/19 A couple enjoy a boat ride Asssociated Newspapers 14/19 Sunbathers on the beach at Brighton PA 15/19 Twop women cool off under a outside shower Asssociated Newspapers 16/19 People enjoy the cool water in the fountains at Trafalgar Square Asssociated Newspapers 17/19 A woman sunbathing at Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) 18/19 Sunbathers on the beach at Brighton PA 19/19 Asssociated Newspapers

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said temperatures could reach the 30s this weekend as football fans gather to watch England's World Cup quarter-final and Wimbledon continues.

He told the Standard: “Our climate team have looked at UK temperatures on a consecutive run of days where somewhere has recorded 28C or above.

“We are currently on a run of 12 days, with a forecast that looks as though we have a fine spell of weather out to the end of next week. If we get to Friday that would be 19 days.”

In the summer of 1976, two separate 18-day periods of unbroken warm weather were recorded, while a year later a 19-day run was achieved.

Since then, the longest consecutive runs of hot weather (temperatures above 28C) have been 13 days in August 2003 and 15 days in July 2006.

This year, some areas of the country have seen low water pressure or a loss of supplies as water companies battle to pump enough water to meet demand as people try to keep cool and water their gardens in the heatwave.

Severn Trent Water been putting water directly into the pipes from tankers and providing bottled water stations in areas such as the High Peaks to deal with loss of supplies and keep water flowing in the face of high demand.

National Farmers' Union deputy president Guy Smith said this year's weather had been "unusual", from an extremely wet winter and spring, to a month where there has been very little rainfall in some areas.

"A lack of rainfall will mean poor grass growth for livestock and dairy farmers, and some arable farmers will have seen no recordable rainfall in a key month for their crops.

"Growers of irrigated crops currently have sufficient access to water to grow our fruit and vegetables, however abstraction restrictions may become inevitable in some catchments," he said.