RAF runway melts in record-breaking heat and Twitter melted down

Britain's Royal Air Force halted flights out of Brize Norton in Oxfordshire due to the runway melting leading to jokes and memes online.

On Monday, Sky News reported said a military source told them the "runway has melted" at Brize Norton forcing a delay in all flights. London Luton Airport also had a "surface defect" due to the soaring temperatures.

Temperatures reached 99°F (37°C) in London on Monday with Tuesday's temperatures expected to hit over 100°F (38°C).

The news that the tarmacs were melting due to the heat caused a stir on social media with people joking at the unprecedented and ridiculous sounding extreme heat.

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"Just a normal Monday morning headline where a runway has melted from extreme heat and flights had to be cancelled or diverted. Cool." Sahar wrote on Twitter.

"So basically the world is on fire," another Twitter user said.

Many people wondered how the asphalt of runways melted believing it can withstand extreme heat, and while that is true it must be sealed in order to survive temperatures over 120°F (48°C).

In places like the UK and Ireland where summer temperatures do not reach over 85°F (29°C) on average, many asphalt-paved roads are not given the additional sealant. Thus leading to softening asphalt.

Many people felt the news of the melted runway sounded the alarm for the massive implications of climate change is creating.

"When climate change meets national security…" Ian Bremmer wrote.

"Climate change is real, and has a multitude of clear and present consequences." "Grady Booch tweeted.

"Don't normalize this. Climate change is a crisis." A Twitter user said.

Tuesday's temperatures are expected to reach over 100°F (37°C) leading to heat advisories from the Met police.

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