UK heatwave: AA boss issues motorists severe warning after road ‘melts’ during hot weather
Motorists are being warned of melting roads and dangerous tire blowouts as a heatwave continues in Britain.
The warning came from AA chief Edmund King after a peak temperature of 35.1 degrees was recorded at Kew Gardens in west London on Tuesday.
Roads in East Anglia are already melting, including the A143 at Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds.
Mr King explained: “Some roads can begin to soften at temperatures above 50C and this can occur when air temperatures reach 30C. Other effects that can be seen on heat-stressed roads include ruts and ruts caused by vehicle weight on busy roads where the road surface softens.”
He added that high temperatures “stress the tires” on old or damaged tires, potentially causing “explosions, wall breaks and, most dangerously, explosions.”
Mr King advised drivers to replace damaged tyres, to avoid an incident on the road that could pose “a threat to you, the people in your vehicle and other road users”.
AA said that the number of breakdowns that occurred during the public holiday weekend increased by 15 percent compared to the same period last year, and that the reason for this was “heat wave conditions put extra load on vehicles.”
The company received 34,124 calls between Friday and Monday, compared to 29,602 calls a year ago.
Sunday and Monday experienced the largest year-on-year increases, with an increase of 21 percent on both days, while Saturday and Friday experienced increases of 17 percent and 5 percent, respectively.
Another breakdown recovery company, RAC, said Tuesday was 29 per cent busier than a normal Tuesday at the end of May, with more than 9,500 requests for help.
The UK is currently experiencing a fifth consecutive day of rising temperatures; The 35C temperature recorded at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday broke the May temperature record for the second time in two days.
According to the Met Office, temperature records were broken in areas from Suffolk to Berkshire and Warwickshire; The temperature of 34.8C recorded at Kew Gardens in London on Monday broke the old May record of 32.8C, set in 1922, by a whopping two degrees. This record was later broken on Tuesday.
Severe temperatures in the UK also meant London would be hotter than temperatures set in Lagos, Cairo or Ho Chi Minh City, according to initial forecasts.
