<p>Extreme weather has made brittle road surfaces more likely to crack, increasing strain on infrastructure</p><p>The UK’s dilapidated roads are expected to get even worse, with motorists warned to expect a jump in the number of potholes as result of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/01/summer-2026-uk-hottest-on-record-provisional-met-office-data">the country’s hottest summer on record</a>.</p><p>Potholes are commonly assumed to be caused by cold or wet weather, but long peri