A140 in Suffolk closed as road surface melts in heat in Little Stonham

A major route in Suffolk was closed after parts of the road surface began to break up in the heat.

The A140 was shut between the Stonham Magpie pub in Little Stonham and the junction for Mickfield because of damage caused by the temperatures.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said the road surface had melted in parts and had begun to break up, with reports coming in at 2.05pm on Wednesday.

Met Office records show that temperatures in the area at the time had reached 23C, though the surface temperature of the road is likely to have been much higher.

In a tweet, police said "the road surface is causing problems for motorists and is unsafe due to the hot weather".

Drivers had been advised to find other routes and avoid the road, which is a major link between Norfolk and Suffolk.

Suffolk Highways officers were on the scene with police officers.

"Some issues have been identified with the road surface along the A140 which have been made worse by the hot weather," a Suffolk Highways spokesperson said.

"Our teams are working to maintain traffic flow, by applying grit to the road and placing ‘20mph’ and ‘uneven road surface’ signs to warn road users."Extra works are expected to take place next week in an effort to repair damaged areas of the road.

Temperatures have been rising in the East of England throughout the week, with forecasts that they could reach 32C by Friday as warm air from north Africa moves across the UK.

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