Featured Image Credit: Jam Press
Topics: China, Climate Change, Social Media, Viral
Emily Brown
Bizarre photos and video captured in China show cars bulging with what look like 'baby bumps' as a result of record-breaking hot weather.
The unusual images were captured by human rights activist and author Jennifer Zeng, who hoped to showcase the phenomenon as countries across the globe continue to experience ever-increasing hot weather.
Studies on the climate have revealed that the first instance of a day with heat over 35°C is occurring earlier every summer, at a rate of 2.5 days earlier per decade.
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The impacts are far-reaching, but one obvious result is the 'pregnant cars' that have started appearing on particularly hot days.
Zeng's images show a series of cars in China with huge bulges under the hood, with one particular clip featuring a burgundy vehicle with a huge red bump rising from its front.
In another, a purple car appears to have been blessed with triplets, with two bumps visible along its the doors while a third protrudes from the hood.
The heat took hold on cars both on the street and in parking lots, and the footage has gone viral after Zeng shared it online.
Alongside the images, she wrote: “No joke! Made-in-China cars get 'pregnant' when it's too hot.”
Social media users couldn't help cracking a few jokes after seeing the bizarre sight, with one commenting: "Is it a boy or girl?”
Another joked: “If they deliver the baby after cooling down, then its a feature otherwise a failure.”
One viewer did offer up an explanation for the 'pregnant' cars though, and thankfully it suggests you don't need to worry unless you car has had certain work done.
They explained: “Those are wraps and if there's moisture underneath it will fill with water vapour.”
The unusual phenomenon was further explained by Car Mag, which reported on the cars and described how car wraps are typically applied to protect a vehicle's paint or alter its color.
Though the wraps are intended to endure various typical weather conditions, they've proven to be no match for the extreme heat in China.
According to experts cited by the mag, if the wraps are exposed to high temperatures and direct sunlight for an extended period of time it may compromise their integrity and appearance, causing blistering and stretching as well as, as we can see, swelling.
In an event to prevent wraps becoming damaged, car owners are advised to leave their vehicles in shaded areas.