ISLAMABAD: Viral videos circulating on social media claiming that Europe’s ongoing heatwave has melted traffic lights, roads and even vehicle tyres are misleading, with fact-checkers finding that many of the clips are either AI-generated or taken out of context.
Europe is currently experiencing one of its most intense heatwaves on record, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in parts of France, Spain and Germany. The extreme weather has disrupted transport services and placed additional pressure on infrastructure across several countries.
Some online posts have claimed that the unprecedented heat has caused traffic signals to melt and asphalt roads to liquefy. Similar videos also show vehicle tyres appearing to melt while driving, leading many users to believe they depict recent events in Europe.
While the heatwave itself is real, investigations into the viral content suggest that most of the videos do not accurately represent current conditions.
The transport disruption reported in Germany’s city of Leipzig, for example, is genuine. Local transport authorities temporarily suspended parts of the tram network after prolonged high temperatures affected operational safety. Officials explained that excessive heat caused sealants in the expansion joints of asphalt and concrete surfaces to soften, creating potential risks for tram operations.
However, fact-checkers found no credible evidence that traffic lights were melting because of ambient temperatures alone.
One widely shared video claiming to show a traffic signal melting during the current European heatwave is believed to be unrelated to recent weather events. Social media users have linked the footage to a 2022 incident in Italy, where a scooter fire reportedly damaged a traffic light.
Experts also note that modern traffic lights are engineered to withstand high temperatures and are not expected to melt during heatwaves, even under extreme summer conditions.
Several of the circulating clips have previously appeared online in different contexts, including posts shared in 2023 that falsely claimed they showed roads melting during a heatwave in Lucknow, India.
Fact-checkers further concluded that some viral videos were created or manipulated using artificial intelligence, while others combined unrelated footage with misleading captions to exaggerate the impact of Europe’s extreme temperatures.
Although Europe continues to face severe heat, climate experts warn that misinformation can spread rapidly during major weather events. They advise the public to verify dramatic images and videos through credible news organizations and official sources before sharing them online.
The fact-check concludes that while the European heatwave is causing significant disruption, the viral videos claiming traffic lights and roads are melting are largely false or misleading.
