The heat wave now affecting the UK is among the worst ever recorded.
According to Sky News, the British Royal Air Force turned to other airfields at its Oxfordshire facility on Monday morning after military intelligence alerted the outlet that “the runway has melted” at the Brize Norton airport owing to high temperatures.
On Monday, temperatures exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38 degrees Celsius, easily making it the hottest day of the year in many regions of the UK, including Suffolk and areas of Wales.
The temperature is not predicted to drop until later this week. But, with highs of more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit forecast tomorrow, the impact of the record-breaking heat on national infrastructure may just be starting.
The melted runway led the Royal Air Force to halt flights in and out of the airfield on Monday, but it was able to keep operations running by diverting flights to a nearby air base in Oxfordshire.
“During this period of extreme temperature, flight safety remains the RAF’s top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long-established plan. This means there is no impact on RAF operations,” the Royal Air Force said in a statement on Twitter.
Brize Norton Airport was not the only one affected by Monday’s excessive heat.
The UK’s hub for budget carriers EasyJet, Ryanair, and Wizzair, London’s Luton Airport, announced a series of delays Monday afternoon due to another runway damaged by excessive heat.
“Following today’s high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway,” London Luton Airport stated on Twitter.
“Engineers were called immediately to the site, and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as quickly as possible. We would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused.”
Despite the high temperatures, all other airport runways, including London’s Heathrow and Gatwick, were operational as of Monday afternoon.
Heathrow has been running far from regularly and has issued an appeal for airlines to limit the number of daily passengers due to a busy travel season.
However, Heathrow Airport has been able to land planes on its runways for the time being.
