The record-breaking heatwave sweeping across Derbyshire has caused a dozen roads to melt.
Derbyshire County Council has so far been called out to 12 roads across the county after residents reported suspected melting, it told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
This includes roads in Brimington, Brough, Chesterfield, Hasland, Holmesfield, Kirk Hallam, Tideswell, Shottle and Stanley.
The authority had issued information this week detailing that road temperatures are typically higher than the air temperature.
It said road temperatures of 53C had been forecast and that roads could start to melt at 50C.
The county has experienced its hottest temperatures on record, with 39C recorded at a weather station in Chaddesden, Derby, surpassing Monday’s (July 18) new record of 36C and the previous records of 35C set in 2019 and 1911.
County council highways teams are out and about around Derbyshire today, as they were on Monday, responding to reports of melting roads.
They are spreading loose sand on the affected roads which helps to soak up any excess bitumen (road material) leaking on the surface and to help bind it back together.
These are the roads which the county council has been called to so far with reports of melting routes, from today and Monday (July 18 and 19):
- Princes Road – Chinley
- High Street – Brimington
- B6049 – Brough
- B6049 – Tideswell
- B6054 – Owler Bar to Holmesfield
- A617 Hasland bypass (lane one)
- Dale Road, Stanley
- Godfrey Drive, Kirk Hallam
- Windle Drive, Kirk Hallam
- Markham Road, Chesterfield
- Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield
- The Gorses, Shottle
The county council says: “Please take care and allow extra distance for braking as the road surface can become slippery in very hot weather.
“If you spot a road surface in danger of melting please contact our team online at: .”
