False claim: Extreme heat caused ‘melting’ of cars in Saudi Arabia

A photograph of two cars damaged cars has been shared on social media with the claim that their bumpers “melted” due to extreme heat in Saudi Arabia

The above post has been shared on the page All J&K husbands cordination comeetee with the caption “Today It Was 52°C In Saudia Arabia”. The same has been shared on another page named Raahil Mir.

Interestingly, on WhatsApp, this picture is being shared with the narrative that this was the state of cars due to the high temperature of 58 degrees Celsius in Churu, Rajasthan.

FACT-CHECK

This picture is neither from Saudi Arabia nor from Rajasthan. According to the American fact-checking website Snopes, the photograph is from Arizona, USA. The cars were damaged not due to an extreme temperature but because of a fire at a construction site close to where the vehicles were parked. The incident had taken place in July 2018.

According to Tuscon News Now, a fire at a construction site had damaged around a dozen cars, as the intense heat melted the bumpers. The incident had taken place at the University of Arizona, and nearly 30 people were forced out of their homes due to the raging inferno.

In conclusion, a photograph shot in Arizona, USA in July 2018, has been shared with the false claim that it shows the effect of extreme heat in Saudi Arabia.