Britain’s Royal Air Force said on Monday that it has halted flights in and out of its Brize Norton air base due to extreme temperatures. The statement came after Sky News reported the extremely hot weather had “melted the runway” at the base.

“During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains the RAF’s top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long-established plan. This means there is no impact on RAF operations,” the Royal Air Force said in a statement posted on Twitter. 

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Luton Airport, a popular airport in the United Kingdom used by airlines including EasyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair and TUI, has also suspended all of its flights after the tarmac melted, Mirror reported.

“Following today’s high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway. Engineers were called immediately to site and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as soon as possible,” the airport said in a statement on Twitter.

Also Read: What the UK heatwave emergency means for the country

This comes as the chief executive of the Met Office confirmed “we may well see the hottest day in the UK in history” today.   

“Tomorrow [Tuesday] there’s a higher chance of 40C and above, possible numbers 41 are on the cards, some 43 in some models, but we’re hoping it won’t be as hot as that,” Professor Penny Endersby, chief executive of the Met Office, told BBC. 

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Urging people to take these warnings seriously, she added, “These temperatures are unprecedented and we’re not used to dealing with them – heat causes many hundreds or thousands excess deaths, so people need to follow the advice of keeping the shade, keeping cool and hydrated.”