The UK experienced its hottest day ever on Tuesday when Heathrow in south-west London recorded 40.2 degrees Celsius. Despite further rises in temperatures, the Met Office remains in red warning of danger from extreme heat across much of central, northern, and south-east England. There has been so much heat in the UK that even runways have melted. Aircraft were halted on one of the largest air force bases in the United Kingdom as one of the runways was damaged. As a result of a melted runway at Luton Airport, operations were also suspended. In addition to air operations, train service has also been affected by the heatwave.
The Met Office in the United Kingdom issued the country’s first red alert for high heat last week, in advance of the scorching weather. It covers cities such as London, Cambridge, Leicester, Nottingham and Manchester.
Amber excessive heat advisories, the country’s second-highest category, extend as far north as Perth and Edinburgh and as far south as Plymouth and Brighton.
According to The Daily Beast, some residents have turned to aluminium foil to keep the heat at bay, with images of the metal being placed over residential windows.
Last week, parts of Hammersmith Bridge were coated in silver insulation in anticipation for the intense heat. According to officials, the 135-year-old bridge has already experienced heat-related fractures.
