Scorching temperatures melt tarmac at military air force base, causing flights to be halted

• Hot weather melted the tarmac at a UK military base, which halted flights, per Sky News.
• Tar has got stuck to RAF officials' boots and aircraft wheels since summer began, a source said.

Flights have been put on hold at a military base in the UK after hot temperatures melted the tarmac, Sky News first reported.

The flight line, where aircraft are parked and serviced, became softer at Royal Air Force (RAF) Cranwell in Lincolnshire, a county in east England, a source told Sky News. As a consequence, all flying at the base had to stop on Monday and Tuesday, the source added.

The source told Sky News that flying training for pilots was also impacted but an RAF spokesperson told Sky News that training will continue in an alternative service area,

Temperatures hit highs of 32 degrees Celsius on Monday in the UK, according to the country's Met Office, which issued an extreme heat warning.

Since the beginning of summer, tar has got stuck to RAF officials' boots and the wheels of two training aircraft, the source told Sky News.

Sky News reported that an investigation had been launched into why the flight line was experiencing problems, although the high temperatures were considered a contributing factor.

"Our aircraft flight line has melted in the heat, so all flying at Cranwell has been stopped," the source said in the interview with Sky News.

The disruption this week has affected around 60 students undertaking flying training and engine training, the source said. The trainees were frustrated by the situation, the source told the broadcaster.

The RAF didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours.

An RAF spokesperson told Sky News that the main aircraft service area at the base was "currently unavailable for routine use."

RAF Cranwell, which began operating in 1918, was where Prince Charles began his RAF flying training, according to the facility's website.

The RAF isn't alone when it comes to halting flights. Other sectors of the aviation industry are struggling with shortages of airport workers and flight crew. Heathrow Airport, a crucial global travel hub, on Tuesday asked airlines to stop selling tickets and caps passenger numbers amid travel chaos.