Heat wave makes 7 cars explode

By Rob Hyde

Temperatures rose so high this weekend that seven cars burst into flames in a car park in Voralberg.

30 firefighters rushed to scene to put out the flames which had engulfed the car park in the market town of Hard, near the Bodensee Lake.

Police said the sophisticated technology involved in new cars is extremely sensitive and also extremely flammable.

During the same weekend a tram burst into flames in Graz when a battery overheated.

Fortunately the tram was not in service at the time, and had been sitting in the depot when the fire broke out.

During the Austria summer heat the interior of cars can quickly rise to over 70 degrees.

This becomes not only dangerous for small children and pets, the also creates a real risk of various household items, such as deodorants, suddenly exploding.

Other items such as lap-tops, mobile phones and MP3 players are also likely to be damaged.