Workers rise to the heat wave challenge
Ice in demand
With the heat wave continuing to affect many areas of China, the temperature in the Beibei district of Chongqing on Sunday reached 44.5 C, the highest nationwide that day.
The mountainous city of Chongqing in southwest China is known as one of the country's "three stoves" because of its high summer temperatures. In recent years, the average summer temperature in Chongqing has been 37 C, but sometimes it has reached 43 C.
This year, the city has witnessed two heat waves since last month. From July 29 to Aug 12, a total of 12 districts and counties in the city－including Hechuan, Bishan and Fengdu, and some parts of the central urban area－experienced temperatures of more than 40 C for five to 11 consecutive days. The latest heat wave is expected to continue into next week.
Amid the extreme and lasting heat, demand for various types of ice has surged in the municipality.
Yu Dan, general manager of Chongqing Hua Tea Co, said, "The amount of ice used in our milk tea shops has reached 300 kilograms, a rise of about 50 percent compared with this time last year."
He said the ice machines used by the shops are sufficient to cater to customers' needs.
