China News Agency, Beijing, August 23 (Liu Likun) In the summer, wildfires broke out in many European and American countries due to the high temperature in the past few days.
Recently, a reporter from China News Service interviewed a number of overseas Chinese to learn about their living conditions under extreme weather.
Chen Jianxin, chairman of the Spanish Association of Overseas Chinese, said that this summer, Spain has experienced unprecedented high temperatures.
"Especially in the few days of the wildfire, the Madrid area reached 44℃-46℃, and the outdoor temperature in some provinces and cities even exceeded 50℃." Chen Jianxin said that in the hot weather, many people will live by the sea or in the countryside. Will try to stay at home to prevent heatstroke.
"After a large-scale wildfire occurs, you can often see a vast expanse of whiteness in the swimming pool behind the house. It is all the ashes from the burning of the wildfire." Wu Zhiou, the president of the American Las Vegas News, told reporters that every summer, the United States Large-scale wildfires often occur in the west.
He often travels between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and has seen wildfires burn to the side of the road several times on the way.
In Wu Zhiou's view, the impact of wildfires on life is subtle.
Housing prices in the mountains and seaside areas of the western United States are relatively high, especially for houses built in the mountains, and the losses after a mountain fire are more serious.
In recent years, housing-related insurance premiums in the United States have risen, and the increase in claims caused by frequent wildfires is an important reason.
In addition to wildfires, this year the western United States also experienced droughts that have not been encountered in many years.
Wu Zhiou said that Lake Mead, the largest artificial lake in the United States, supplies water for areas such as California, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. Nowadays, due to the sharp decrease in rainfall, the water level can only reach 1/3 of previous years.
"There was a flood in Europe a while ago, and our side is also arid. The extreme weather this year is indeed more obvious." Wu Zhiou said.
"I have lived here for more than 30 years, and I have never seen such a hot summer." Greek compatriot Lan Xiaocheng said that the more concerned mountain fires in Greece this year occurred in Athens and the Peloponnese, and they burned a few days later. Just extinguished.
“A serious wildfire this year occurred in the vicinity of Athens, causing many property losses for businesses and homes.” said Wang Peng, editor-in-chief of the Greek “China-Greece Times”. Mountain fires happen frequently.
With extreme high temperatures before this summer, hail and heavy rain afterwards, coupled with the recent rebound of the epidemic, Greece is facing very severe challenges.
In the current disaster, overseas Chinese and Chinese people have helped each other and contributed to the local disaster relief work.
According to Wang Peng, many overseas Chinese in the vicinity of the fire site were invited by friends from other areas to stay temporarily, and there were also Chinese volunteers who organized spontaneously to provide supplies for rescuers and left-behind personnel.
"In general, Greece has experienced many wildfires, and the overseas Chinese also understand them, and will think of and help those in need as soon as possible." Wang Peng said that wildfires swept across Greece in 2008. Overseas Chinese also spontaneously raised donations for disaster relief, "This is a way for everyone to give back to the local society."
The shadow of the epidemic has not yet dissipated, and natural disasters have followed one after another.
Over the past year or so, overseas Chinese have faced difficulties one after another, but they have never been discouraged.
Wang Peng said that with the popularization of vaccines, many European and American countries have begun to open up in an orderly manner, including Greece, which is extremely dependent on tourism.
"Everyone was very nervous at the beginning of the epidemic, but now everyone has been vaccinated and developed good living habits, and they can treat life and work with peace of mind." Wang Peng said.
"Although everyone has encountered unexpected difficulties, they have been responding with a calm and confident attitude." Chen Jianxin said that the epidemic has changed everyone's life and way of thinking in a subtle way.
Today, the mentality of the overseas Chinese has gradually stabilized, and they are still optimistic about the future development.
(End)