It’s so hot out that the UK is melting – literally. But unless you’re this guy, we don’t want to hear any more complaints.
On his way to breakfast, a 24-year-old man was minding his own business when his foot fell through a sinkhole. Scorching temperatures caused the tarmac to melt. The man was able to keep his cool and call Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, who naturally tweeted the whole affair.
“We were called to a back lane where a man was on his way to buy breakfast and went straight through the road,” a brigade spokesperson told BBC. “The Tarmac had become so soft it melted.”
In the first image posted, you can see the man’s ankle engulfed by the tarmac. Firefighters chipped away at the tarmac with a massive chisel and mallet while the man casually sat back watching.
A hole measuring a few inches deep was chiseled through the asphalt to get the man’s foot out. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt because, as the rescue service reports, he was rocking his grandfather’s Dr. Marten’s and, thankfully, didn’t break his ankle. Thanks, Granddad!
Scorching temperatures around the world have set heat records that collectively are the sorts of extremes expected as the world warms, according to The Independent. Since last week, the eastern United States and Canada have seen some of the hottest summer temperatures since records started. Burlington, Vermont, tied an all-time record high at a sweltering 28.9°C (84°F), while Ottawa tweeted its most extreme combination of heat and humidity yet.
An extreme heat event in Northern Siberia saw temperatures as high as 35°C (95°F) near the ocean coast – yes, in Siberia.
Let’s take a jaunt down to Africa where parts of the continent have experienced their hottest temperatures ever measured. The mercury in Algeria rose to 51.3°C (124.3°F), which, if verified, would surpass Morocco’s previous record set in 1961 by 1 degree.
A heat dome sitting on top of Eurasia has created some of the region’s hottest weather to date. In July, Georgia set its all-time record of 104.9°F (40.5°C) and Armenia tied its July high at 107.6°F (42°C).
Heading back to the UK, the British Isles have experienced such intense heat that a lorry melted into the road. If you’re hot now, just wait. Temperatures are expected to continue to rise and there is no sign of reprieve.
And if you find yourself near a tarmac sinkhole, be sure to block it off for the next chap to come along.
