Claim:
Cars are melting on Dubai’s roads due to extreme summer heat, as shown in viral social media videos.
Verdict:
False – The video claiming to show melted cars in Dubai is not from Dubai. It features vehicles with Omani number plates, and no credible news source has reported any such incident. Experts confirm that typical summer temperatures, even above 50°C, are not enough to melt car parts.
What Is Being Claimed?
Viral Instagram and Facebook reels — circulated by accounts like Dubai – Elevated and LocalsDubai — claim that cars in Dubai are melting due to scorching summer temperatures. The caption in one of the videos reads:
“Intense heat caused melting of the cars in Dubai.”
This narrative resurfaces every few years, with earlier versions falsely linked to Saudi Arabia. The current footage shows distorted car bumpers and melted taillights, suggesting the vehicles gave in to the UAE’s infamous heat.
What We Found
1. Not Dubai — The Cars Have Omani Number Plates
Upon examining the video, it becomes clear that the cars in question have number plates from Oman, not Dubai or any other UAE emirate. This is a critical detail that debunks the claim immediately.
2. No Credible Local or International Reporting
No UAE-based media outlet (such as Khaleej Times, Gulf News, or The National) has reported any incident of cars melting due to heat in Dubai. Likewise, no Omani news source has mentioned a heat-induced vehicular meltdown.
3. Possible Fire Incident – Not Heatwave
The melted bumpers and taillights may stem from a localised fire or another external source of heat. Similar past viral videos were later traced back to incidents unrelated to the weather — one viral video previously linked to Saudi Arabia was actually from a construction site fire in Arizona, USA.
4. Heat Alone Can’t Melt Car Bumpers
Modern car components — such as plastic bumpers — are engineered to withstand over 100°C. Even though Dubai temperatures breached 50°C twice this year, it’s not hot enough to melt car parts. Experts say car batteries, tire pressure, and coolant levels need checking during such weather, but actual “melting” from heat is highly improbable.
Conclusion
The claim that cars are melting on the streets of Dubai due to heat is false. The video is misleading, likely filmed in Oman, and no heatwave — however severe — can cause this level of vehicular damage without other contributing factors like fire. Always verify viral footage before sharing.