San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge is emitting a strange noise that has residents baffled and some covering their ears.
The 83-year-old suspension bridge is one of the most photographed in the world, but suddenly people are recording video clips of the bridge and reporting that they can hear a sound coming from it from miles away.
"The Golden Gate Bridge now makes music. You can hear this whistle all over the city," posted a commenter on Twitter.
The eerie sound, similar to a low hum, inspired a flood of postings on social media. Some Bay Area residents thought they were going crazy, but there is a logical explanation for the noise.
"Sorry this is happening," tweeted the City and County of San Francisco. "The Golden Gate Bridge Sargent reports the low humming noise is related to high winds blowing through the newly installed railing slats along the bike path on the bridge."
Some local residents reported they could hear the sound inside their homes, miles away from the bridge. Others found the sound to be tuneful or even meditative.
"I would also mention that up close and with no people around, the sound was both surreal and peaceful, as if someone’s playing a very sad meditation song on surround sound," posted another Twitter user. "P.S. you really can’t hear it much ON the Golden Gate Bridge itself," she added.
But not everyone agreed that the sound coming from the bridge is a welcome addition. Some jokingly called it a theme song to the apocalypse, while others just found it annoying.
"Engineers designed new sides for the sidewalk to help with wind resistance but didn’t take into account the EXTREME sound it creates when wind passes through it," commented another person on Twitter. "The bridge sings crazy songs now it’s so trippy. It hurts the ears and unbearable it’s that loud."
The National Weather Service of San Francisco Bay Area reported early this morning that "a weather station near the Golden Gate reported sustained WNW winds of 30-35mph, with gusts to 43mph as this was occurring. Gusts of 45-60mph were reported nearby in Marin and San Francisco counties today."
And while the high winds explain the strange sounds people are hearing, it's little comfort to those who realized that this ominous sound will likely be a permanent fixture of life in the Bay Area.
Still, others took a more humorous outlook on the situation.
"The Golden Gate Bridge learned how to scream which is perfect for 2020," posted one user.
A Black Lives Matter march across the bridge is planned for Saturday. No word whether in addition to face masks, protesters will be wearing earplugs.