A driver from out of town, Jennifer Therese, noticed a section of Yass Valley Way was riddled with pot holes and melted bitumen as the temperature soared to 43C on Wednesday.

Several drivers’ wheels became covered with bitumen as a result.

One such driver, Nikki Newton said, it “made a hell of a mess on my tyres.”

Tyre trails can still be seen from the road up to the roundabout.

A local mechanic said that the melted bitumen could have become stuck to other parts of the cars and loose stones could have damaged windows.

He also said that tyres could have been damaged if the pot holes were bad enough.

Council staff have been working under sweltering temperatures to get the road back to a driveable condition again.

They poured water over the road yesterday to cool it down and have resealed the affected area with bitumen.

Concrete and gravel roads can withstand a period of plus-40C heat, but not bitumen, according to a Yass Valley Council spokesperson.

The speed limit has been reduced to 60km/h along the affected section of the road while the new surface settles.

“We understand this is a very frustrating situation for motorists, however, we are experiencing extreme weather conditions at the moment and council is responding appropriately as we become aware of these issues,” the council spokesperson said.

Council said it is not responsible for any damage to cars and car owners with damage would need to speak to their car insurance company.