PropertyValue
?:author
?:datePublished
  • 2017-08-07 (xsd:date)
?:headline
  • Did 62°C Temperatures in Kuwait Cause Trees to Burst into Flames? (en)
?:inLanguage
?:itemReviewed
?:mentions
?:reviewBody
  • In July 2017, social media users shared videos and images of burning trees and melting streetlights, the purported results of a record-breaking heatwave in Kuwait during which temperatures soared to 62° Celsius (143.6° Fahrenheit). First of all, a 62° Celsius day has never been recorded. The highest temperature on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization, was 56.7°C (134°F) on 10 July 1913 in Furnace Creek, California. The highest temperature in Kuwait, 54°C, was recorded in Mitrabah in July 2016. Although the footage of trees burning is likely real, the claim that these fires were caused by 62° Celsius temperatures is unfounded. The weather in Kuwait hovered around 50°C during July 2017: The web site Frontnews.eu shared one of the most popular videos of this claim, showing a tree burning on the side of the road along with the report that the temperature had reached 62°C in Kuwait: This video was actually shot in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and captured a palm tree that was struck by lightning, as the website alweeam.com reported (translated by Google Translate and edited for clarity): A second video purported to show a plant burning due to Kuwait's high temperatures: Although this video was shot in Kuwait, we found no evidence to suggest that the plant burst into flame solely because of high air temperatures. Local news reports (translated by Google Translate and edited for clarity) noted the cause of the fire was unknown: A photograph of a melting traffic light also appeared alongside the claim about the high temperatures: Although this image was taken in Kuwait, it dated back to 2013 and showed a street light that reportedly melted due to a nearby car fire. One final image was circulated as evidence that temperatures had reached 62°C in Kuwait: According to the Kuwait Times, however, this image was manipulated. Meteorologist Adel Al-Saadoun, head of the Fintas Weather Observatory, explained that the temperature has never reached 62°C in Kuwait and that such reports were just fake news: (en)
?:reviewRating
rdf:type
?:url