Snow gritters dispatched to stop roads from melting in sweltering heatwave

Gritters normally used to protect drivers in wintry conditions have been deployed in England over concerns this summer’s heatwave could cause roads to melt.

Central Bedfordshire Council said it is using the gritters to spread crushed stone in a bid to preserve the county’s road surfaces.

“Some parts of Central Bedfordshire are experiencing very high road surface temperatures,” the local authority said in a post on Facebook.

“When this happens, tarmac can begin to soften, which may lead to surface damage.”

When temperatures rise into the mid-30Cs, road surfaces can heat up to as high as 50C in the sunlight.

Road surfaces, typically made from asphalt, can begin to melt at around this temperature, according to the Road Surface Treatments Association.

They can melt even when the air temperature drops to 20C at the end of the day, as road surfaces absorb heat over the course of the day.

Concerns over the road conditions come as the UK faced the hottest June on record.

Other parts of Europe are also facing heatwaves, with soaring temperatures exacerbated by a heat dome.

Amber alerts are now in place across several areas of England, indicating health and social care services are likely to be significantly impacted because of the heat.

“We’re sending out gritters to spread a fine layer of crushed stone. This helps protect the road surface and provides extra grip for vehicles,” the council added.

“You might not expect to see gritters in summer, but it’s an important part of looking after our roads during extreme weather conditions.”