The Latest: UK air traffic problems fixed ‘sufficiently’

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Europe’s heat wave (all times local):

6:10 p.m.

The U.K.’s air traffic controller says it has fixed a technical issue that led to flight restrictions at the country’s airspace.

The controller, NATS, says the problem has been fixed “sufficiently” at its Swanwick control center and will be able to safely increase traffic flow rates. The controller promised an improving picture through the rest of the day.

Travelers at both Heathrow and Gatwick airports experienced delays, due in part to thunderstorms that followed the hottest July day in the U.K. on record.

NATS said the “weather is continuing to cause significant unrelated disruption across the country and more widely across Europe, which has further complicated today’s operation.”

Thursday may end up being the hottest day ever recorded in the U.K. Britain’s weather service says provisional temperature of 38.7 Celsius (101.7 Fahrenheit) was recorded during this week’s heat wave — but it still needs to be confirmed.