760 Dead from Extreme Heat

    The UK has recently been hit by its longest-lasting heatwave in seven years. On the 17th, the UK meteorological department recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2°C in southwest London, setting the country's record for the highest temperature of the year. According to reports, the prolonged hot weather in the UK has caused 540 to 760 deaths. The hot weather has also led to forest fires and deformed railway tracks.

    The northeastern and midwestern United States are simultaneously being hit by a heatwave, with temperatures in some areas reaching 37.8°C; combined with humid weather, the perceived temperature reaches 40°C. In New York subway stations without air conditioning, the room temperature reaches as high as 50°C. Currently, parts of 19 states have issued heat alerts. Health authorities say that at least 6 people have died from the heat as a result of this heatwave.

    Over the past week, due to widespread high temperatures across Japan, more than 10,000 people have been taken to hospitals for heatstroke treatment. Since the end of this year's rainy season, at least 59 people in Tokyo have died from heatstroke. Over the past week, some Japanese cities have experienced temperatures as high as 39°C, and downtown Tokyo has also reached 35°C.

    310 Meters Up in the Blazing Summer Heat

    On some large construction sites there is a group of people who work high above the ground every day, operating tower cranes to lift and transport materials.

    At 6 a.m., when most people in the city of Huzhou, Zhejiang, are still deep in sleep, Master Zhang took the reporter on the construction elevator up to the 55th floor of the East Tower. The passage leading to the tower crane is suspended between the building and the crane. "This is already 240 meters high, and it's also the fastest route to the tower crane operator's cabin," Master Zhang said before walking across. Although he kept stressing that the passage was very safe, the reporter, having little experience walking at such heights, felt extremely nervous stepping onto it, afraid that the scaffolding might fall; by the time the reporter reached the crane's ladder, both palms and forehead were covered in sweat. Master Zhang told the reporter that this suspended passage could be considered the first hurdle on the way to the operator's cabin, and the second hurdle was the 72-meter-high ladder, which he had to climb up and down by hand an average of three times every working day. After a short rest, Master Zhang nimbly began climbing the ladder. "You must grip tightly," "Try not to look down"... these were the things Master Zhang kept reminding the reporter while climbing. What looked like simple movements became especially dangerous at high altitude; combined with the blazing sun and hot weather, the whole climbing process was extremely strenuous. After just two minutes of climbing, the reporter was gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, and weak in the legs; the physical and psychological pressure even made the reporter want to give up climbing at one point. After nearly 20 minutes of climbing, the reporter finally arrived at the tower crane operator's cabin, 310 meters above the ground.

    The operator's cabin where Master Zhang works has room for only one person to move around, and the glass on his left and right sides, in front of him, and beneath his feet is all transparent; intense sunlight shines into the cabin from all sides, and Master Zhang has to stay in such an environment for 9 hours every day. "At the hottest time around noon it's like taking a sauna," Master Zhang said while skillfully operating the tower crane. "When operating the tower crane, you can't let go of the control lever—there's not even time to wipe off sweat!" Although the windows on both sides are covered with a layer of newspaper, the shading effect is clearly very limited. Directly above Master Zhang's control console, an electric fan is running; it is also the only cooling device here. "It helps a little, but on hot days it just blows hot air."

    The reporter found that although the operating environment is hot and he sweats profusely, Master Zhang is particularly restrained about drinking water. He told the reporter that drinking too much water makes it easy to need the toilet, and there is no toilet on the tower crane, so one can only hold it in. "I'd rather be thirsty than drink too much." This is the wisdom he has gained from many years of experience as a tower crane operator. Master Zhang pointed to an empty bottle nearby. "If I really can't hold it anymore, I pee into this and take it downstairs to throw away when I go down. It's a last resort."