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An Easy Jet plane lands during sunset at Luton Airport after a small section of the runway had lifted due to high temperatures on July 18, 2022.
It’s so hot across the globe, roads and roofs are melting.
The deadly heat waves of the last week have sparked strange infrastructural events around the world as millions endure searing temperatures that are still on the rise.
The heat-related events also speak to aging infrastructures worldwide, most of which — roads, bridges, railroads, buildings — are not prepared for the sweltering conditions as of late.
So how hot has it been, exactly? Well …
The United Kingdom saw its hottest day on record Tuesday, when temperatures breached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
It’s been so hot that a runway at London Luton Airport on the capital’s outskirts had to be closed off as it melted in the heat.
“Flights are temporarily suspended to allow for an essential runway repair after high surface temperatures caused a small section to lift,” the airport tweeted Monday.
Heat causes materials to expand and crack when temperatures rise, according to the Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering — concrete and asphalt, found on runways and roads, are no exception.
He Penglei/China News Service/Getty Images
The city of Chongqing has been under a red alert due to the heat.
A heat wave has now engulfed half of China, affecting more than 900 million people — or about 64% of the population. All but two northeastern provinces in China have issued high-temperature warnings, with 84 cities issuing their highest-level red alerts last week.
In the city of Chongqing, which has also been under a red alert, the heat led to the roof of the Forbidden City Cultural Relics Museum melting.
The heat dissolved the underlying tar, causing the traditional Chinese tiles to pop off.
The Hammersmith Bridge in London can now be seen with silver foil around it because of the country’s heat wave.
The Hammersmith Bridge in London, built in 1887, was closed to all users in August 2020 due to cracks in the pedestals after a heat wave.
You might wonder why foil, and if that would attract more heat — it’s actually part of a cooling system designed to reflect sunlight and keep the bridge at a moderate temperature so its materials don’t expand and crack.
“Engineers are working round the clock to keep 135-year-old Hammersmith Bridge open during the extreme hot spell,” a news release from the Hammersmith and Fulham Council read.
The council hired world-class engineers to cover the bridge with a “£420,000 ($503,000) temperature control system to keep the bridge at a safe temperature and alleviate any stresses on the pedestals.”
“It effectively acts as a giant air conditioning unit on each of the four pedestal chains,” the council’s release said.
The bridge actually had to close in August 2020 when a heat wave caused “micro-fractures in its cast-iron pedestals.”
Railroads have also been scorched during this heat wave. So much so they’ve painted them white in London.
“The rail temperature here is over 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) so we’re painting the rails white to prevent them from getting hotter,” the UK’s Network Rail tweeted Monday. The agency regulates railway infrastructure in the UK.
Yui Mok/PA Images/Getty Images
Train tracks painted white to help with the heat at Alexandra Palace train station in London.
By painting the rails white, they absorb less heat and expand less. This, in turn, reduces the delays during hot weather, the agency tweeted.
Scorching temperatures and a lack of rain have caused the ground in Fort Worth, Texas, to shift, according to the city’s website.
The result is “an unusually high number of water main breaks” this summer.
“Through 8 a.m. Monday, Fort Worth Water had 476 main breaks in 2022, with 221 of those in the past 90 days,” a news release from the city read. “The telling number is the 182 in the last 30 days — over 38% of the yearly total.”
These main breaks have created a sort of cocktail of chaos in Fort Worth due to Covid-19 labor shortages, which has created a backlog of leaks and repairs, the release said. And there’s the fact that because of the heat, water use has increased.
“The city is bringing in outside contractors on an emergency basis to assist in these backlogs,” the release said.
A worker replaces shingles on a roof Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Oklahoma City, before the heat of the day sets in. Temperatures are expected to be in the triple digits in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
A worker replaces shingles on a roof Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Oklahoma City, before the heat of the day sets in. Temperatures are expected to be in the triple digits in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
People try to keep cool at the Justa Center, a resource center catering to the older homeless population, as temperatures hit 110-degrees Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Phoenix. Heat associated deaths in Arizona's largest county appear headed for a record this year with 17 such fatalities reported through the first week of July and another 126 under investigation as a growing number of homeless people live outside as temperatures remain well into the triple digits. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
People try to keep cool at the Justa Center, a resource center catering to the older homeless population, as temperatures hit 110-degrees Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Phoenix. Heat associated deaths in Arizona's largest county appear headed for a record this year with 17 such fatalities reported through the first week of July and another 126 under investigation as a growing number of homeless people live outside as temperatures remain well into the triple digits. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Edinburg Vela High School marching band members perform during practice at Edinburg Vela High School Wednesday, July,20, 2022 in Edinburg, Texas. (Delcia Lopez/The Monitor via AP)
Edinburg Vela High School marching band members perform during practice at Edinburg Vela High School Wednesday, July,20, 2022 in Edinburg, Texas. (Delcia Lopez/The Monitor via AP)
Yonathan Ghersi, owner of 26 Degrees brewing stops to take a break from cleaning kegs in the heat, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Yonathan Ghersi, owner of 26 Degrees brewing stops to take a break from cleaning kegs in the heat, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Derell Sevenson of Soul Hibachi and Seafood cooks over a hot grill, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Derell Sevenson of Soul Hibachi and Seafood cooks over a hot grill, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Artist Rosita de Amarin cools down with a chilled mango from her ice chest, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Artist Rosita de Amarin cools down with a chilled mango from her ice chest, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Asa Smith, 7, of Brattleboro, Vt., relaxes in the waters at Old Jelly Mill Falls, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Dummerston, Vt., as temperatures rise into the upper 90s. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Asa Smith, 7, of Brattleboro, Vt., relaxes in the waters at Old Jelly Mill Falls, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Dummerston, Vt., as temperatures rise into the upper 90s. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Sopheya Gutierrez, 6, of Westminster, Vt., rides on the back of her mother, Starr, as they cool down in the West River, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Dummerston, Vt., as temperatures rise into the upper 90s. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Sopheya Gutierrez, 6, of Westminster, Vt., rides on the back of her mother, Starr, as they cool down in the West River, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Dummerston, Vt., as temperatures rise into the upper 90s. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Kimberly Rodriguez, from Springfield, Mass., goes tubing with her two daughters, Katalina Oyola, 5, and Jerriahnys Oyola, 2, as they cool down in the West River, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Dummerston, Vt., as temperatures rise into the upper 90s. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Kimberly Rodriguez, from Springfield, Mass., goes tubing with her two daughters, Katalina Oyola, 5, and Jerriahnys Oyola, 2, as they cool down in the West River, Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in Dummerston, Vt., as temperatures rise into the upper 90s. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)
Ducks pass a beachgoer as they float down the American River at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Once again temperatures in California's capital crossed the 100-degree mark. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Ducks pass a beachgoer as they float down the American River at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Once again temperatures in California's capital crossed the 100-degree mark. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
A woman and youngster wade in the waters of the American River at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Once again temperatures in California's capital crossed the 100-degree mark. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
A woman and youngster wade in the waters of the American River at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Once again temperatures in California's capital crossed the 100-degree mark. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Dylan Schoenfeld, 9, of California, leaps over a fountain while cooling off with his brother Charlie, 5, while on vacation during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Boston. Dangerously high temperatures Thursday threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South as millions of Americans sought comfort from air-conditioners, fire hydrants, fountains and cooling centers. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Dylan Schoenfeld, 9, of California, leaps over a fountain while cooling off with his brother Charlie, 5, while on vacation during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Boston. Dangerously high temperatures Thursday threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South as millions of Americans sought comfort from air-conditioners, fire hydrants, fountains and cooling centers. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Brent Thurmon, who is currently homeless, is wheeled on 11th Street, just west of Trenton Ave., by friend A.J. McCosar, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Tulsa, Okla. Thurmon had been in a local hospital for dehydration, and was treated and released. He said they gave him an IV and a security guard took him to 11th and Trenton and dropped him off. He was unable to get up or move. McCosar was going to take him to a friend's house where he could recuperate(Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
Brent Thurmon, who is currently homeless, is wheeled on 11th Street, just west of Trenton Ave., by friend A.J. McCosar, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Tulsa, Okla. Thurmon had been in a local hospital for dehydration, and was treated and released. He said they gave him an IV and a security guard took him to 11th and Trenton and dropped him off. He was unable to get up or move. McCosar was going to take him to a friend's house where he could recuperate(Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)
A girl cools off at a fountain during hot weather at the River Trails Park District Woodland Trails Pool in Mount Prospect, Ill., Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
A girl cools off at a fountain during hot weather at the River Trails Park District Woodland Trails Pool in Mount Prospect, Ill., Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
A woman pushes a stroller during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A woman pushes a stroller during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A man runs during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A man runs during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A man plays tennis during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A man plays tennis during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
"It's a volcano!" exclaims 6-year-old Nolan Rought of Madison, Wis. as he uses his shirt to diffuse a fountain at Citygarden in downtown St. Louis on Thursday, July 21, 2022. According to the National Weather Service, the St. Louis region is expected to experience triple-digit temperatures through the weekend with heat index up to 109 expected on Saturday.(Jack Myer/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
"It's a volcano!" exclaims 6-year-old Nolan Rought of Madison, Wis. as he uses his shirt to diffuse a fountain at Citygarden in downtown St. Louis on Thursday, July 21, 2022. According to the National Weather Service, the St. Louis region is expected to experience triple-digit temperatures through the weekend with heat index up to 109 expected on Saturday.(Jack Myer/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
A child, right, reacts under a plastic rain cover as he walks in the rain with his family during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Manhattan, New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A child, right, reacts under a plastic rain cover as he walks in the rain with his family during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Manhattan, New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
People take shelter from rain during summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
People take shelter from rain during summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A woman uses her phone during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A woman uses her phone during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in New York. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Noah Hurtado, 9, splashes down a water slide during a visit to a sprayground Thursday, July 21, 2022 in Odessa, Texas. The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory Thursday for areas of southeast New Mexico, southwest Texas and west Texas. High temperatures between 96 and 98 degrees are expected to last until Monday according to the NWS' extended forecast (Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP)
Noah Hurtado, 9, splashes down a water slide during a visit to a sprayground Thursday, July 21, 2022 in Odessa, Texas. The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory Thursday for areas of southeast New Mexico, southwest Texas and west Texas. High temperatures between 96 and 98 degrees are expected to last until Monday according to the NWS' extended forecast (Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP)
From left, Arturo Coca, 8, Maricla Coca, 7, and Madalyn Lange, 5, walk through a water feature as they cool off from the heat during a visit to a sprayground Thursday, July 21, 2022 in Odessa, Texas. The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory Thursday for areas of southeast New Mexico, southwest Texas and west Texas. High temperatures between 96 and 98 degrees are expected to last until Monday according to the NWS' extended forecast. ((Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP)
From left, Arturo Coca, 8, Maricla Coca, 7, and Madalyn Lange, 5, walk through a water feature as they cool off from the heat during a visit to a sprayground Thursday, July 21, 2022 in Odessa, Texas. The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory Thursday for areas of southeast New Mexico, southwest Texas and west Texas. High temperatures between 96 and 98 degrees are expected to last until Monday according to the NWS' extended forecast. ((Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP)
A man rests in the park at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A man rests in the park at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A man rests with his dog as a couple passes by at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A man rests with his dog as a couple passes by at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
People spend time at the park at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
People spend time at the park at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
People spend time at the park at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
People spend time at the park at dusk during a summer heat wave, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Hoboken, N.J. Dangerously high temperatures threatened much of the Northeast and Deep South on Thursday, as huge swaths of the country sweltered under a heat wave that could continue for days and send temperatures soaring in places like Boston, Little Rock and Virginia Beach. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
A woman cools off at a fountain at the Woodland Trails Pool in Mount Prospect, Ill., on a warm Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
A woman cools off at a fountain at the Woodland Trails Pool in Mount Prospect, Ill., on a warm Thursday, July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)