London’s Luton Airport has canceled its flights due to heatwaves that damaged part of the surface of the runway. The use of the airport and one of the air force bases have been suspended.
Temperatures in the UK have reached 37-38 degrees in many places and are expected to rise even higher tomorrow, beating the previous record of 38.7 degrees in July 2019.
However, high temperatures have a very negative impact on infrastructure. Many trains have been canceled and people are being warned not to travel unless necessary.
Luton Airport closed today after a runway defect caused by high temperatures was discovered. The airport said immediate action had been taken and flights were expected to resume as soon as possible. Some flights were diverted to other nearby airports, according to BNR.
The Royal Air Force said it had suspended flights at Britain’s largest air force base, Brize Norton, where the military said: “the runway had melted.”
Code red and a state of emergency were declared in many places of the country. Some schools today closed early or did not open at all. There have already been several deaths while trying to cool off in ponds.