Weather and travel woes hit U.K., France

LONDON — The temperature’s dropping, but Europe’s troubles aren’t over: A record-busting heat wave gave way Friday to thunderstorms and hailstorms, bringing the Tour de France to a dramatic halt and causing trouble at British airports and beyond on one of the most hectic travel days of the year.

In addition, travellers at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports faced delays because air traffic controllers grounded flights over a technical problem.

It marked the second day of travel disruptions in European capitals after one of the hottest days in memory, when many places in Western Europe saw temperatures soar beyond 40 C.

Compounding that, the weekend is a big travel moment across Europe as families head off for their summer holidays now that schools have broken up for the academic year.

In France, suffocating heat turned into slippery storms Friday — including a hailstorm on the Tour de France route in the Alps that was so sudden and violent that organizers ordered a stop to the world’s premier cycling event.

As riders careened down hairpin turns after mounting a 2,770metre peak, a storm lashed the valley below.

A snowplow worked desperately to clear the route of slush, but organizers deemed it too dangerous to continue.

Authorities across Europe were looking to address the consequences of Thursday’s soaring temperatures, as records that had stood — in some cases for decades — fell.