A Record Heatwave Is Making Air Travel To Europe Even Worse & Runways Are Actually Melting
Parts of Europe are actually on fire right now.
A plane on the runway at London Luton Airport. Right: A fire fighter at London Luton Airport.
A heatwave is ravaging Europe right now and the situation is so bad that airport runways and some roads are literally melting.
Temperatures in parts of the U.K. topped 40 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday and the blistering heat has been so bad that runway issues are actually diverting some flights.
As if we need another thing to slow down the summer travel season.
\u201c\ud83c\udf21\ufe0f For the first time ever, 40 Celsius has provisionally been exceeded in the UK\n\nLondon Heathrow reported a temperature of 40.2\u00b0C at 12:50 today \n\n\ud83d\udcc8 Temperatures are still climbing in many places, so remember to stay #WeatherAware \u26a0\ufe0f\n\n#heatwave #heatwave2022\u201d— Met Office (@Met Office) 1658231714
The Guardian reported that London's Luton Airport had to temporarily suspend Tuesday flights due to "a surface defect" on the tarmac on Monday.
“Flights are temporarily suspended to allow for an essential runway repair after high surface temperatures caused a small section to lift,” said London Luton Airport in a statement.
British officials even issued a “red extreme” heat wave warning across the country for the first time in a while, and the temperatures are due to break a previous heat record from 2019. Officials have also ordered trains to slow down due to railways warping in the heat, the Guardian reports.
The U.K. is not the only European country currently suffering from extremely high temperatures.
The heat has literally set parts of France, Spain and Portugal on fire, sending thick clouds of smoke into the sky over parts of Europe.
The official Twitter account for the Zaragoza Provincial Council of Spain posted videos and updates on the fire ravaging the municipality of Ateca in Spain.
\u201c\ud83d\udd34 Los bomberos de la @DPZaragoza est\u00e1n colaborando en la extinci\u00f3n de un incendio forestal declarado en el t\u00e9rmino municipal de Ateca que ya ha afectado a unas 125 hect\u00e1reas de monte bajo y pinar\n\n\u2139 M\u00e1s info: https://t.co/G9v8qiOctU\u201d— Diputaci\u00f3n de Zaragoza (@Diputaci\u00f3n de Zaragoza) 1658168024
“Some 125 hectares of scrubland and pine forest” have been affected by the fire, Spanish authorities said.
The BBC reports that fires near the Portuguese city of Porto, in the northeast, have scorched over 30,000 hectares so far this year.
In addition to the fire, 238 people have reportedly died in Portugal from the heat over the past week.
France has also evacuated over 12,000 people from its southwestern area, where a fire has been ravaging the Gironde region.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the looming heatwave, organizers of the Tour de France bike race are planning to pour thousands of litres of cold water on the route to prevent it from melting as the road temperatures reach 60 degrees Celsius, reported France 24.
Temperatures are due to reach anywhere between 38-40 degrees in parts of France this weekend, just in time for the long-awaited race.
U.K. forecasters expect the weather to cool off slightly later in the week.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.