Xinhua Insight | Steadfastness Under Scorching Heat

Release Date:

2024-06-17

In recent days, Jinan, Shandong Province, has experienced sustained high temperatures. At the province’s largest railway marshalling yard, electrical workers have been climbing 20-meter-high lighting towers to inspect and maintain various lighting fixtures.

Under the scorching sun, the steel‑framed lighting bridge reaches even higher surface temperatures, making it feel like standing on a barbecue grill.

The Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway is one of the main corridors in China’s “Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal” high-speed rail network. In response to the severe test posed by sustained high temperatures to track‑expansion prevention efforts, track maintenance workers under China Railway Jinan Bureau have intensified inspections and maintenance along the Beijing–Shanghai line to ensure safe and smooth railway operations.

At noon, the temperature at Jinan West Station was nearing 40 degrees Celsius. To mitigate the risk of track buckling, track maintenance workers from the Jinan Railway Bureau’s Engineering Section deployed to key areas prone to such incidents, intensifying inspections of critical components, including seamless turnout sections, rail lines, insulating devices, and small-radius curves.

In Qifeng Town, Huantai County, Zibo City, Shandong Province, the lotus ponds are awash with emerald leaves, and the first harvest of tender white lotus roots— a specialty of Matahu Lake—is just around the corner. No delicacy comes easily; for lotus farmer Song Xiancheng, this is both the hottest time of year and his busiest season.

In response to the traffic safety risks that often arise during periods of extreme heat, the traffic management authorities in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, have deployed additional police personnel for inspections and intensified enforcement during morning and evening rush hours and times of heavy traffic. More than 1,000 officers are on duty each day, managing traffic flow, handling accidents, and providing emergency support to ensure safe and smooth road conditions even in scorching weather.

The 1.2-kilometer-long Shicheng Cable Tunnel in Cangzhou City serves as a critical power‑supply hub for the city’s western urban area, occupying a strategically vital location with an enormous load. Staff from the State Grid Cangzhou Power Supply Company have intensified routine inspections of the cables within the tunnel to ensure their reliable and fail‑safe operation.

In Hebi City, Henan Province, fog‑cannon trucks and water‑spraying vehicles are conducting combined operations of wet sweeping, water spraying, and flushing to control dust and reduce temperatures.

In Xinxiang City, Henan Province, agricultural and water‑conservation authorities are closely monitoring weather conditions and soil moisture, actively diverting water to combat drought, implementing a range of measures to alleviate the dry spell, and making every effort to ensure grain production.

Producer: Sun Zhiping

Executive Producer: Zhang Pingfeng

Producer: Li Jie

Coordination: Wang Jian

Director: Tian Tian

Reporters: Feng Yuanyuan, Wang Huan, Zhu Xiaoguang, Zhang Shuo, Jiang Liang, and Shang Kunlun

Reporters: Liu Yang, Liu Shaoyan, Liu Yingxu, Wang Yulong, Gu Yu, Li Chao, Zhang Zhen, Geng Xiuwei, Wang Shifa, Ding Ping, Yang Yongqiang, Wang Jiaseng, Fan Kewei, Yu Yuan

Voiceover: Feng Yiting (Intern)

Opening sequence produced by: Xia Yong

Produced by the Xinhua News Agency Audio-Video Department

[Editor-in-charge: Liu Yang]

Source: Xinhua News Agency

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