Residents in China’s southwestern provinces are taking creative measures to deal with a record heat wave that has seen temperatures exceed 40C(104F).
In an effort to escape the heat, people in Chongqing and the neighbouring Sichuan province are going into cave restaurants and underground bunkersAccording to some analysts, the heatwave’s severity could make it one of the worst ever recorded throughout human history.The severe drought in China has been made worse by the extended heatwave.Photos and videos posted on social media depict unsettling scenes of passengers in Chongqing sitting in darkness train cars and strolling down darkened streets after several train stations in the provinces turned down their typically bright lights to save electricity.Authorities in Chongqing reportedly ordered industrial enterprises to limit output until at least Thursday, while Sichuan government offices were reportedly directed to maintain air conditioning levels at no lower than 26C.Others have set up mats or hung hammocks from beams in underground tunnels as a form of refuge.The warmth and subsequent drought have been extremely difficult on agricultural farmers.A chicken farmer in Sichuan was seen sobbing in a viral video after all of her birds had perished over night from power shortages on a scorching day.However, Sichuan, the largest hydropower producer in the nation, saw some relief on Thursday when heavy rains descended overnight. However, 30,000 people were forced to leave because of the storms, according to state broadcaster CCTV.According to the meteorological administration, the region and the provinces surrounding the commercial capital Shanghai can expect scorching weather to last for at least the next three days.But not just Sichuan has been impacted; because of the Three Gorges Dam and the Yangtze River’s lower water levels, electricity has been reduced throughout many Chinese cities, including the country’s financial centre of Shanghai.