新西兰创下有史以来最温暖的六月，滑雪胜地举步维艰

New Zealand Records Warmest-Ever June as Ski Resorts Struggle

New Zealand finished its warmest June on record. Experts say they expect the warming trend to continue and predict the country will experience shorter winters in the future.

The average temperature in June was 10.6 degrees Celsius¹, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric² Research, or NIWA, reported this week. That was 2 degrees Celsius above the 30-year average for June. It is also more than 0.3 degrees Celsius higher than previous records set in 2003 and 2014. Record-keeping began in 1909.

Gregor Macara is a climate scientist at the government-run NIWA. He told The Associated Press that one reason for the record was an increase in winds coming from the warmer north, rather than the Antarctic south. In addition, ocean temperatures are unusually warm.

Macara added that while the weather might change from month to month, "the underlying³ trend is of increasing temperatures and overall warming."

The average temperature in New Zealand has increased by about 1 degree Celsius over the past 100 years, Macara said. If this trend continues, people can expect later and warmer winters, followed by earlier springs.

The situation is putting pressure on ski resorts a week away from when many students take their winter school holidays. Photographs from several of the larger resorts showed rocks and earth under only a little bit of snow. Some resorts have used snowmaking machines to open some runs, but many lifts remain closed.

Paul Anderson is the head of NZSki, which operates Coronet Peak, Mt. Hutt and The Remarkables ski resorts.

"We'd always like a bit more snow on the ground," he said. "But we've got some good snow arriving tomorrow, and then a cool four or five days for snowmaking."

Anderson said his company has been dealing⁴ with the changing weather by investing in more snowmaking equipment and ski lifts that can handle high winds.

"It's really clear that climate change is a reality. You can't argue with that science," Anderson said. "But it is over a very long period of time."

Some farmers are happy with the warmer weather.

Jim Galloway is with the advocacy group Federated Farmers. He told the AP this year "has been a godsend."

The warmer weather and rain has finally permitted some grass to grow, providing food for sheep and cows, he said. His area has experienced two years of drought conditions.

"It's helped a lot, but there's a long way to go," Galloway said. "There's not a lot of ground water. The dams are still empty, basically."

Galloway added that droughts are nothing new for farmers. But he worries that a warming climate is making them happen more often.

Words in This Story

trend — n. the general direction in which something appears to be headed

underlying — adj. used to identify the idea, cause, problem, etc., that forms the basis of something

resort — n. a place where people go for vacations

godsend — n. something good that happens unexpectedly, usually when you really need it

drought — n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain

1 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

2 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

3 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

4 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。