Responders in southwest China's Sichuan Province have taken action to help residents cope with soaring temperatures over the past week, ensuring ample access to drinking water in rural areas and offering public areas to keep cool in urban centers.
On Thursday morning, Chengdu, the provincial capital, issued a red high temperature warning, the highest level in China's high-temperature alert system, for the eighth consecutive day. Locals have suffered from temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius for nearly 10 days.
People's Park in the center of Chengdu is a popular place for local residents and tourists to meet socially and drink tea. Due to the high heat, the local government temporarily converted an air-raid shelter in the park into a place for visitors to cool off. The shelter is five to eight meters underground, making it a naturally cooled room that can accommodate up to 400 people.
In smaller cities including Nanchong and Dazhou, many primary schools, secondary schools and kindergartens have delayed the start of the semester one week until Sept. 9 due to the heat.
The continued high temperatures have also caused temporary water shortages for some people in rural areas of Sichuan’s Luzhou City, and the local government has been delivering water to homes in response.
The efforts have been highly successful in places such as Wangping Village in the city's far northeast, situated at a high altitude far from the water plant such that tap water pressure is insufficient.
"Our water delivery measure has solved the problem of domestic water supply for about 500 households in Wangping Village, Hongxing Village, Zhujiaping Village and other villages in Chaohe Town," said Huang Xudong, manager of the western water supply district for Luxian Shuntong Water Company.
In Xuyong County of Luzhou City, the fire trucks of local fire rescue departments were temporarily modified into "water trucks" to deliver much-needed hydration.
"Due to the recent continuous high temperatures, our station has been delivering water to people's homes according to their needs. The average daily water delivery is more than 30 tons, further alleviating people's water demand," said Wen Fei, political instructor of the Maling Fire Rescue Station in Xuyong County.
Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has also taken measures to combat the extreme heat, as 29 districts and counties with an altitude below 400 meters are expected to see temperatures surpass 40 degrees Celsius over the next few days.
Dubbed a "furnace city" in China due to its scorching summers, Chongqing has maintained a red alert for 10 consecutive days since Aug. 21 for high temperatures.
Southwest Chinese cities keep residents cool, hydrated amid extended heatwave
Southwest Chinese cities keep residents cool, hydrated amid extended heatwave
