Motorists are facing warnings of melting road surfaces and potential tyre blowouts as the heatwave continues to grip the UK. AA president Edmund King issued the alert following Tuesday's peak temperature of 35.1C recorded in Kew Gardens, west London. Already, parts of East Anglia have seen roads succumb to the extreme heat, including the A143 in Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds.
Mr King said: “Some roads may begin to soften at temperatures above 50C, which could occur when air temperatures reach 30C. Other impacts that can show on heat-stressed roads include rutting and wheel paths from the weight of vehicles on busy roads where the road surface has softened.” He added that high temperatures “stress the rubber” on tyres that are old or damaged, which can cause “punctures, wall failures and, most dangerous, blowouts”.
Mr King advised drivers to get damaged tyres replaced to avoid an incident on the road which is a “threat to you, people in your vehicle and other road users”. The AA said the number of breakdowns it attended over the bank holiday weekend was up 15% on the same period last year, as “heatwave conditions put extra strain on vehicles”.
The company received 34,124 callouts between Friday and Monday, compared with 29,602 a year ago. Sunday and Monday had the biggest year-on-year increases, with callouts up 21% on both days, while on Saturday and Friday there were rises of 17% and 5% respectively. Another breakdown rescue company, the RAC, said it was 29% busier than usual on Tuesday compared with a normal Tuesday in late May, with more than 9,500 requests for assistance.
