China responds to heatwaves as cities swelter in high temperatures

BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Outdoor workers and power grid maintenance personnel from several places in northern China have scrambled to cope with high temperatures amid heat alerts across the region.

From Monday to Tuesday, many cities in northern China, including Beijing, experienced their first heatwave of this year, and in some parts an orange alert for high temperatures was issued.

According to the National Meteorological Center, at least 10 of the 2,418 national meteorological observation stations in China recorded temperatures above 37 degrees Celsius at 4 p.m. on Monday.

Recently, heatwaves have hit several regions in the country. Data showed that temperatures in most parts of the country in mid-April were higher than in the same period in history, with temperatures in parts of the southwestern Yunnan Province, which is known for its balmy weather, even approaching or reaching 40 degrees Celsius.

Since last weekend, temperatures have been rising rapidly across the northern part of the country, with temperatures in some areas soaring to more than 35 degrees Celsius.

As the heat hits, so outdoor workers are having to enhance their personal protection.

On the outer walls of an apartment building that is about to be delivered in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, several cleaners were sweating as they worked high above the ground.

"Compared to previous years, the weather got hot very suddenly this year, we need to prevent heatstroke and cool down," said Guo Yongxu, head of the Henan Yiyun Cleaning Service Co., Ltd., adding that when the outdoor temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius, the glass curtain walls of the building can reach 50 degrees Celsius.

To cope with the high temperatures, the company has prepared medication and cool mineral water, adjusted work shift hours, reduced working time for the workers, and asked them to avoid working during the high temperature period at noon, according to Guo.

In order to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid in high temperatures, the State Grid Gaobeidian Power Supply Company in Hebei Province increased the frequency of inspection of the power grid.

Furthermore, intelligent equipment such as drones, infrared thermometers and cable fault detectors have also been used to ensure the normal operation of the electricity equipment.

Gao Hui, chief forecaster of the National Climate Center, suggested that attention should be paid to prevent the adverse effects of high temperatures on people's health, and relevant departments should make preparations in advance to ensure energy supply during the peak of summer.