A popular UK airport halted all of its flights after runway tarmac melted in Monday's (July 18) scorching temperatures. Luton Airport is used by airlines including EasyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair and TUI as temperatures in Luton have reached 36C on the day.
Flights that are inbound to the airport are not being diverted as repairs are being carried out, as reported by The Mirror. The last flight to take off was believed to have been at 3.07pm, but as of 6.05pm the runway was fully reopened.
The airport only has one runway. One furious passenger tweeted: "How long will this take?!?!?" Another wrote: "They have just closed the runway at Luton airport for at least an hour. We were just about to be pushed back and they stopped everything. Inbound flights are being diverted.”
READ MORE: Live heatwave updates as temperatures to soar in Nottinghamshire
A spokesperson for Luton Airport said: "Following today's high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway. Engineers were called immediately to the site- and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as soon as possible.
"We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused." The airport later at around 6.05pm said it had reopened fully to flight, adding: "The runway reopened to both arriving and departing flights at 18.05 and is now fully operational. We're sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience."
The RAF has also halted flights in and out of its largest air base in the UK, Brize Norton, because the "runway has melted", according to reports.
The rise in temperatures has forced the UK Health Security Agency to issue a level 4 heat-health alert alongside the Met Office red warning running from Monday to Wednesday and the chief executive of the College of Paramedics has warned that the “ferocious heat” could result in people dying.
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