A popular UK airport has suspended all of its flights after the tarmac melted in today's boiling temperatures.
Luton Airport is used by airlines including EasyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair and TUI as temperatures in Luton have reached 36C today. A spokesperson announced that all flights outbound were suspended and any flights scheduled to arrive at Luton airport were being diverted., reports the Daily Mirror.
The last flight to take off was believed to have been at 3.07pm. 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.”
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 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.
It comes as parts of the country could see Death Valley highs of 42C today as Brits are warned to "stay indoors, do as little as possible" and avoid public transport as the heatwave forces hospitals to cancel appointments and some schools close.
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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