FACT CHECK: Did A Traffic Light Melt In Texas Due To Extreme Heat?
An image shared on Twitter purports to show a traffic light that melted in Texas due to extreme heat.
It’s so hot 🥵 in Texas even the traffic lights are melting. 😂 pic.twitter.com/XqpoKEYhvV
— AlayaZBVegan (@AlayaZBVegan17) July 18, 2023
Verdict: False
The image shows a traffic light that melted as a result of a July 2022 fire in Milan, Italy, according to the Italian website Open.
Fact Check:
Friederike Otto, one member of a group of scientists who study the probability of extreme weather events, said recent heatwaves in the U.S. and Europe would be “virtually impossible” without climate change, according to NBC News. The finding was published in a Tuesday study from the World Weather Attribution Group, CNBC reported.
“It’s so hot in Texas even the traffic lights are melting,” the Twitter post’s caption reads. Included in the post is an image of a traffic light that is visibly melted.
The claim is false, however. The image shows a traffic light that melted as a result of a July 2022 fire in Milan, Italy, according to the Italian website Open. A moped caught fire on the sidewalk below the traffic light, the outlet indicated, citing an Instagram video shared by blogger Simone Lunghi.
The outlet confirmed a fire had occurred near Viale Regina Margherita in Milan on July 25 with the city fire department. The city fire department also told the outlet that high temperatures “probably ignited the flames.”
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Likewise, the Twitter post purporting to show the melted traffic light in Texas is not the only iteration of the claim. Additional iterations of the claim purporting to show a traffic light in Phoenix, Arizona and Catano, Puerto Rico have circulated on Facebook and Twitter. (RELATED: Video Showing Military Vehicles In Los Angeles Is Old)
In addition, the purported image is not included in any recent credible news reports about the extreme heatwave sweeping across the U.S. Furthermore, the National Weather Service has not publicly referenced the purported image on its website or verified social media accounts.
Check Your Fact has contacted Italian authorities for comment regarding the image and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
