The main purpose of this ongoing blog is to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Main Topic: Bizarre ‘Pregnant Cars’ Emerge from Chinese Heatwave
Dear Diary. One of the strangest looking things to emerge from this summer’s Northern Hemisphere climate change infused heat are Chinese pregnant cars. Apparently, car covers for many vehicles across China were not designed for extreme heat experienced there, warping and bulging into strange looking shapes.
Take a look with an explanation from thethaiger.com:
China’s ‘pregnant cars’ emerge from heatwave – Thaiger World (thethaiger.com)
China’s ‘pregnant cars’ emerge from heatwave
Viral photos show bizarre ‘pregnant cars’ in China from extreme heat
Bizarre photos and videos from China display cars with what look like ‘baby bumps’ due to record-breaking hot weather. Jennifer Zeng, a human rights activist and author, captured these unusual images to highlight the phenomenon as global temperatures continue to rise.
Climate studies show that the first summer day with temperatures over 35°C is arriving 2.5 days earlier per decade. One noticeable effect of the heat is these ‘pregnant cars’ seen on extremely hot days. Zeng’s photos reveal cars in China with large bulges under the hoods. One clip shows a burgundy car with a massive red bump on its front. Another image features a purple car appearing to have three bumps, two along the doors and one on the hood.
These heat-induced changes affected cars both on the streets and in parking lots, with Zeng’s footage going viral online. She captioned the images, “No joke! Made-in-China cars get ‘pregnant’ when it’s too hot.” Social media users found the sight amusing, with one joking, “Is it a boy or girl?” Another quipped, “If they deliver the baby after cooling down, then it’s a feature, otherwise a failure.”
One viewer provided an explanation, noting that the bumps occur if there’s moisture under car wraps, which then fill with water vapour. Car Mag further explained that these wraps, applied to protect paint or change a vehicle’s colour, are generally designed to withstand typical weather. However, the extreme heat in China has proven too much for them.
Experts noted that prolonged exposure to high temperatures and direct sunlight can damage the wraps, causing blistering, stretching, and swelling. To prevent damage, car owners should park their vehicles in shaded areas.
Other Perspectives
- Firstpost reports that videos of ‘pregnant’ cars in China have gone viral, caused by extreme heat-induced swelling of protective films applied to cars.(read more)
- Interesting Engineering highlights the bizarre phenomenon of “pregnant” cars in China, caused by record-breaking heatwaves, affecting car wraps due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures.(read more)
- Tribune highlights China’s extreme heat causing car wraps to swell, leading to a “pregnant” appearance, sparking curiosity and concern.(read more)
Here are more “ETs” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Here is more new August 2024 climatology (More July 2024 can be found on each prior daily post during August):
Here is More Climate News from Sunday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)