'Car melting' London skyscraper to soon get 'shield'

A 37-storey tower in London that is apparently burning and blistering property below by reflecting sun's rays on nearby street is set to get a screen measuring about four metres high and 15 metres long.

Colette O'Shea, head of Land Securities, the building's co-developer said that they were looking at a couple of solutions and could use shading or a chemical film on the outside of the glass to effectively diffuse the rays of the sun, Sky News reported.

Everyday for a couple of hours, the angle of the sun is such that when the rays hit the skyscraper, originally called 'Walkie Talkie' due to its distinctive look has now been dubbed 'Walkie Scorchie,' the light is reflected and is concentrated into a hotspot below.

So even on a day when the temperatures are in the low 20s - the reflected light can be hot enough apparently to melt a car's bodywork.