The council is warning motorists to take care on the roads because the heatwave is causing another driving hazard.

Senior operations engineer Matthew Ferris has appealed to motorists to be alert to more sticky patches in road surfaces, caused by heatwave conditions this week and by some areas of loose gravel.

Mr Ferris said bitumen roads showed signs of heat stress in varying degrees and this tended to track onto tyres and vehicles.

TRC has a mobile crew in the field to try to patch up trouble spots but the extended heatwave is causing more problems and could increase if temperatures stay near to the 40-degree mark for another couple of days.

TRC is cautioning motorists to be alert and drive more carefully in areas where heat stress and sticky patches are more prominent.

This includes Calala Ln, where recent new works are feeling the heat more acutely.

The new surface between the bridges and Goonoo Goonoo Rd is soft and this has been exacerbated by the heat.

Mr Ferris said the only way to treat the heat stress at the moment was to apply coatings of aggregate but it may result in a bit of loose gravel on the surface.

Some signs have been erected in hazard areas but TRC encourages all motorists to drive with caution on all roads.