The A11 was partly closed this morning as emergency repair works are carried out on damage caused by the high temperatures.

The northbound carriageway between Besthorpe and Thickthorn closed at about 4pm on Tuesday, July 19, as a result of the extreme heat.

It had reopened by 9.20am on Wednesday although one lane remained closed so that emergency repairs could be completed in the day and overnight.

It is hoped the road can fully reopen by 6am on Thursday.

The extreme heat caused parts of the surface of the road to crack and crumble in both lanes making it dangerous for drivers to travel on.

Diversion routes were implemented and people were asked to avoid the area.

A police spokesperson tweeted yesterday: "The northbound carriageway has been closed for the safety of motorists after extreme heat damaged the road surface."

The lane closure caused slow traffic and heavy congestion throughout the day.

A spokesperson for Highways England East said: "Norfolk Police notified us that the A11 road surface northbound towards Norwich had begun to crack in both lanes.

"On later assessments the road was closed in both directions between B1172 (Wymondham) and B1135 (Dereham) to allow emergency repairs to take place overnight.

"Around 9am this morning the road was reopened, however, lane 1 (or 2) will remain shut for further surface repairs to take tonight."