LONDON, July 18 — Britain’s Royal Air Force said today aircraft were using alternative airfields to its Brize Norton air base due to extreme temperatures, after Sky News reported the hot weather had melted the runway at the Oxfordshire base.

Sky, citing a military source, earlier said the RAF had halted flights in and out of the base. Britain is forecast to hit record temperatures today.

"During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains the RAF’s top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long-established plan. This means there is no impact on RAF operations,” the Royal Air Force said of flights at RAF Brize Norton, in a statement posted on Twitter by the Ministry of Defence. — Reuters