U.K. Heat Wave 'Melts' Runway at Royal Air Force Airport: Report

Photo: Damien Meyer (Getty Images)

It is worryingly hot today in the United Kingdom, and that heat has forced a number of airport runways to shut down because its runways literally melted.

Britain’s Royal Air Force to halt flights at its Brize Norton air base in Oxfordshire, Sky News reported. Even though flights were halted, the Ministry of Defence Press Office tweeted has implemented a “long-established plan” to ensure there was no impact on operations. Aircraft are being sent to alternate airfields.

At the same time, flights have also been suspended at the London Luton Airport in Bedfordshire – about 28 miles north of Central London. In a statement made on Twitter, the airport didn’t say exactly what the defect was, but did call it a “surface defect.”

“Following today’s high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway. Engineers were called immediately to site and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as soon as possible,” the airport said on Twitter.

Photo: Niklas Halle’n (Getty Images)

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Sky reports runways can be deemed unsafe if the tarmac becomes sticky due to the heat.

According to Sky, the U.K. is facing record temperatures. The outlet predicts temperatures could hit 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) in the coming days. That would easily break the previous record high of 101.7 degrees Fahrenheit (38.7 degrees Celsius). It’s also now the hottest day in 135 years in Ireland, and the hottest day ever recorded in Wales.

It’s expected to get even worse tomorrow, when it’s expected that the U.K. will be hotter than 99 percent of the rest of the planet.

We’ll bring updates if any more air traffic (or road traffic for that matter) is impacted by the record heat that’s expected in the United Kingdom over the next few days.