June 7, 2020
By: Staff Report
SAN FRANCISCO– Recent windy weather has amplified a new sonic feature of the Golden Gate Bridge when unusually high winds blast into San Francisco Bay, across the iconic span, generating a loud, humming noise that can be heard for miles around.
Friday was the first day the bridge started “singing,” at a volume that could be heard across the city, the side effect of a handrail retrofit designed to make the span more aerodynamic on gusty days.
The Golden Gate Bridge now makes music. You can hear this whistle all over the city pic.twitter.com/W1V9Dw4sXb
— Raemond (@RaemondBW) June 6, 2020
The Golden Gate Bridge District says ‘this was to be expected’. During design, the district conducted wind tunnel tests on a scale model of the bridge under high winds.
Friday’s very strong winds cranked up the volume, extending the distance the sound carried. People heard it all over San Francisco; some even said they could hear it in Berkeley.
THANK YOU!!!! Here’s the sound from Land’s End pic.twitter.com/JjEWy6zrlX
— chilibrianno (@chilibrianno) June 6, 2020
“We had heard it as well in lower wind environments,” says Cosulich Schwartz. “It was a low-level hum, couldn’t really be heard outside of the bridge. Then, yesterday is when we experienced the exceptionally high winds where we knew there would be an audible, humming noise.”
Can someone explain me why is this eerie sound has been going on for an hour in #SanFrancisco #presidio #sound #eerie #whatisthis #2020SoFar #2020BingoCard pic.twitter.com/gS4ui2WSxh
— Alberto Martinez A (@betogilardino) June 5, 2020