Extreme Heatwave in China with Temperatures Reaching 44°C Triggers Unconventional Measures Dealing with the Heat

The pool is so crowded with people that they cannot see the surface of the water. A woman stands on the beach wearing full body protection, perhaps to protect her skin from the intense sunlight. A boy making fried eggs in a hot manhole.

The photos below are of people in China surviving the extreme heat. Behind the photos are people who have their own wisdom and ideas to reverse the effects of the intense heat wave. The damage caused by record-breaking heat surpasses that of Japan.

In China, temperatures are at their highest level since statistics began in 1961. In the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, the central province of Anhui, and the western province of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the temperature rose to nearly 44°C every day. Drought and other factors have caused extensive damage to 3.17 million hectares of crops, while unprecedented torrential rains and floods have caused the collapse of the embankment of the giant lake Dongting Lake in central China. More than 30 million people have been affected by the killer heat wave and other natural disasters, and more than 300 people have lost their lives,” said a local media reporter.

China’s “heat wave countermeasures” are unique. When drought conditions persist and a heat wave warning is issued, missiles containing artificial rainfall agents are launched into the sky. People gathered in squares are cooled off by having elephants spray large quantities of water at them. Anything goes.

Chinese journalist Zhou Laiyu explains the behavior that is so surprising to the Japanese.

Chinese people have the idea that public property belongs to them. They think that if they don’t use them well, they will lose money. Chinese people are often shown lying comfortably on display beds in air-conditioned department store furniture departments, and they have no sense of guilt.

They don’t feel guilty about it.

They want to stand out and be noticed. If they make a video of their flashy outfits and the number of times it is viewed increases, they can earn advertising revenue. It doesn’t matter how you look. Many people in China think that even in the heat of summer, they can create a buzz depending on how they do it,” said Zhou.

If you are always concerned about what people think of you, you may lose money. It seems that well-behaved Japanese can learn a thing or two from the tough Chinese countermeasures against the heat wave.

From the August 23 and 30, 2024 issue of FRIDAY