Skyscraper melting cars

Skyscraper melting cars in London, A building under construction downtown in London is reflecting a beam of light so hot its melting cars, frying eggs and burning carpets.

The so-called "Walkie Talkie" building in downtown London has started acting like a giant magnifying glass, and hapless Londoners are like tiny, scurrying ants.

The 37-story building under construction at 20 Fenchurch Street in London's financial district has earned the nickname "Walkie Scorchie" after the sun's rays bouncing off the building's face began burning objects across the street.

The building's façade is curved in such a way that it is acting as a concave mirror. For about two weeks in the summer, for two hours each day, the sun is aligned to the building so that its light hits a small area of the building, reflecting a very bright, very concentrated beam downward toward the street.

The light and heat reflecting off the building is so hot it has blistered paint, caused tile-work to crack, singed carpeting and warped the metal of parked cars.

Local business owner Martin Lindsay was horrified to return to his parked Jaguar XJ after an hour last Thursday afternoon to find twisted panels and melted plastic.