Why UK roads melt at 40 degrees Celsius but the ones in India survive harsher summer heat

Why UK roads melt at 40 degrees Celsius but the ones in India survive harsher summer heat
July 1, 2026

Europe is currently witnessing an intense heatwave, with several countries recording record-breaking temperatures. As the mercury continues to soar, reports of roads in the United Kingdom softening and suffering heat-related damage have attracted widespread attention. The situation has also prompted comparisons with India, where temperatures frequently exceed 45 degrees Celsius during the summer, yet roads generally remain intact.

 

Let’s find out why this happens, and the answer is not that one country builds better roads than another.

X