The RAC has warned that Britain's record-breaking summer of heatwaves could trigger a rise in potholes, as intense sun and UV radiation join cold and wet weather as a cause of road damage. The motoring organisation says prolonged heat oxidises the bitumen binding asphalt together, making surfaces brittle and prone to cracking, which traffic and subsequent rainfall then turn into full defects. This matters because it adds a new seasonal driver to Britain's already severe pothole problem, at a time when road conditions are already the top concern for many motorists.

Temperatures peaked at 38.1C in Kew Gardens amid five heatwaves this summer, and a 2026 report found 51% of drivers cite road conditions as their biggest driving worry, while 83% encounter potholes on most journeys. Repair costs nationally total an estimated £3.3billion a year across roughly one million potholes, with an average fix costing £341, though this varies sharply by region: Greater London is priciest at £512 (24% of drivers affected), followed by the North West at £362, while Wales is cheapest at £238. The RAC's Simon Williams pointed to a combination of a wet winter and hot summer straining underfunded road maintenance, though he noted the Government has raised council highway budgets to £1.6billion for 2025-26 and allocated £7.3billion for road improvements by decade's end.