VOA常速英语2007-Meteorologists: La Ni?a Likely to Continue Into

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
31 October 2007

The World Meteorological Organization says the La Niña weather event is under way across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and these conditions are expected to continue through the first quarter of 2008.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva the weather agency says the La Niña phenomenon can alter global weather and climate patterns. 

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Geneva says the sea-surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific are markedly colder than normal during a La Niña.  In contrast, it says El Niño events have warmer sea-surface temperatures in the same region.

WMO Senior Scientist in the World Climate Program, Leslie Malone, says the current La Niña is markedly different from most other such events in the past.  This, she says, is due to the presence of colder than normal sea surface waters across northern Australia surrounding west Indonesia islands through to the Indian Ocean.

"These conditions and the changing conditions can cause unusual and sometimes severe weather events and patterns in the immediate¹ area of the Pacific basin, but also around the world in different ways," she said.  "El Niño and La Niña have a recurring² pattern within a regular cycle of approximately two to seven years.  But, I must reinforce that no two situations are ever exactly the same." 

Because of La Niña, Malone says Indonesia, Malaysia and Northern Australia can expect much more rain during the southern summer months and the Philippines can expect heavier rainfall in the northern summer.  She says dry conditions are likely to persist in many parts of Australia.

She says the devastating³ floods experienced between June and September in western and northern parts of the Greater Horn of Africa are also linked to La Niña.  She says countries such as the Sudan, Uganda, Western Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea have been subjected to unusually heavy rain and flash floods.

"This flooding has led to crop failures, to displacement⁴ of people and to very severe human distress⁵ in the region," she added.  "This is connected to both the La Niña  situation that we are observing now in the Equatorial Pacific Basin and in the particular sea surface temperature conditions that we have noticed in the Indian Ocean Basin as well.  These things are working in conjunction."

WMO scientist Malone says La Niña also has a tendency to increase the number of storms in the tropical Atlantic because of changing atmospheric⁶ circulation patterns in both surface and upper atmospheric levels.

She says the northwestern United States and western Canada are experiencing cooler and damper conditions than normal because of La Niña.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

5 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

6 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。