Eerie whistling noise returns as winds lash Golden Gate Bridge, residents say

An eerie whistling or humming sound has returned to the Golden Gate Bridge as storms and high winds batter California, residents say.

“This whistling noise is what the Golden Gate Bridge sounds like in the rain and wind,” says a Twitter post with a video of a vehicle crossing the bridge, calling the sound “disconcerting.”

Other reports described the sound as humming or singing.

An “atmospheric river” has hit California with a series of intense storms featuring wind gusts of up to 70 mph in San Francisco, SFGate reported.

Reports of the strange noise began in June 2020, McClatchy News reported.

Bridge officials attributed the odd sounds to then-newly installed wind-resistant railings on the iconic bridge.

“The new musical tones coming from the bridge are a known and inevitable phenomenon that stem from our wind retrofit during very high winds,” said Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz of the Bridge District.

Complaints about the sound tapered off by 2022, SFGate reported, but the noises have resumed with the strong storms slamming California.

Officials plan to install clips on the railings meant to diminish the sound in coming months, according to the publication.

This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Eerie whistling noise returns as winds lash Golden Gate Bridge, residents say."