西班牙48度、日本韓國40度、中國東北37度、北極32度,這兩周以來,整個(gè)北半球都被高溫籠罩,多地打破了歷史最高紀(jì)錄。
The Arctic Circle — the realm of polar bears and dwindling sea ice at the top of the world — hit 32 degrees Celsius, last week.
上周,北極圈達(dá)到了32攝氏度的高溫。這里位于地球最北端,是北極熊的棲息地,海上浮冰在不斷融化。
This was the temperature in Banak, Norway on July 30, though some Norwegian areas even reached a couple degrees warmer, according to the European meteorology site severe-weather.eu. Banak sits atop northern Europe, over 350 miles above the bottom edge of the Arctic Circle.
這是挪威班納克7月30日所達(dá)到的高溫,根據(jù)歐洲惡劣天氣網(wǎng)的數(shù)據(jù),挪威其他一些地區(qū)氣溫甚至更高。班納克位于歐洲最北部,距離北極圈的下邊界僅有350多英里(約合563公里)。
The greater Northern Hemisphere and Europe itself have been repeatedly scorched by both record and near-record temperatures this summer, a consequence of overall rising global temperatures.
由于全球氣溫上升,今年夏天,北半球和歐洲屢次遭遇創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄或接近創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的高溫。
瑞典,因高溫引起的10余起森林火災(zāi)燒進(jìn)北極圈。
In the past 40 years, Earth's climate has experienced an accelerated warming trend, which adds an extra level of background warming to hot spells — making heatwaves more extreme, climate scientists have said.
氣候?qū)W家表示,過去40年,地球的氣候加速變暖,這使得全球出現(xiàn)了更多高溫天氣,熱浪更加極端。
And the heat at the top of the world really drives that home.
即使是世界之巔的北極圈也難逃熱浪襲擊。
A photo of what appears to be Scandinavian folks taking a dip in a river while reindeer — the cold-adapted, antlered, herbivores — cooled off in the water beside them is perhaps the best example of just how hot it is in parts of the Arctic Circle right now.
有照片顯示挪威人在河中游泳,而適應(yīng)寒冷的馴鹿也不得不下水降溫,這或許是目前北極圈罕見高溫的最佳例證。
The "warm season" in Banak is short, lasting around three months, but the very warmest day of the year, around July 23, is usually around 62 degrees Fahrenheit — about 30 degrees cooler than temperatures there now. Overall, temperatures in northern Europe are between 14 to 21 degrees Fahrenheit, 8 to 13 degrees Celsius, above average.
班納克的“溫暖季節(jié)”很短,大約持續(xù)三個(gè)月,但一年中最溫暖的一天,大約在7月23日,通常在62華氏度左右(約合16.7攝氏度)——比那里現(xiàn)在的溫度低30華氏度??偟膩碚f,北歐的溫度平均在14到21華氏度(8到13攝氏度)之間。
All-time temperature records were set in both Norway and Finland on July 30, including 86 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 degrees Celsius, in Verde, near Banak, though extreme or near-record temperatures blanketed the region.
7月30日,挪威和芬蘭都創(chuàng)下了有史以來最高氣溫紀(jì)錄,班納克附近的佛得角氣溫達(dá)到86華氏度(30攝氏度),而極端或接近創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的高溫覆蓋了整個(gè)地區(qū)。
Persistent heat and dryness this summer have transformed normally verdant European countries into brown and yellow lands, and the continent's extreme heat is expected to persist.
今年夏天持續(xù)的高溫和干燥已經(jīng)把一片青蔥的歐洲國家烤成了棕黃色,預(yù)計(jì)歐洲大陸的極端高溫還將持續(xù)下去。
丹麥西蘭島一處農(nóng)田去年7月時(shí)還是遍地綠色,如今已焦黃一片。
英國氣象局和歐洲惡劣天氣網(wǎng)都預(yù)計(jì),上周末氣溫有可能打破歐洲歷史最高溫紀(jì)錄,即118.4華氏度(48攝氏度)。
Meanwhile, across the planet, extreme heat has enhanced wildfire activity in the western part of the United States, even stoking a rare and imposing fire tornado.
與此同時(shí),在全球范圍內(nèi),極端高溫加劇了美國西部的森林火災(zāi),甚至引發(fā)了一場罕見且來勢洶洶的火焰龍卷風(fēng)。
極地高溫帶來的直接影響是,北冰洋海冰大面積融化。眾多北極熊無冰可依,一些北極熊不得不上岸來到人類居住區(qū)覓食。
美國國家宇航局(NASA)2016年的一項(xiàng)研究顯示,如果全球變暖持續(xù)下去,北冰洋的海冰可能于2040年左右完全消失。到時(shí)候,我們或許只能在海洋館一類的地方才能看到北極熊了。
阿爾伯塔大學(xué)研究北極熊的教授安德魯·德羅謝爾說,氣候變化正在減少北極熊捕獵區(qū)的冰面,使它們花更多的時(shí)間在離人類更近的陸地上游蕩。
除了北極熊,其他一些極地動物也面臨威脅。
學(xué)術(shù)刊物《PLOSONE》的一項(xiàng)研究顯示,隨著北冰洋海冰面積的縮減,冰面變得擁擠。
越來越多的海豹開始遷徙并滯留在美國東海岸,其中大部分海豹身體狀況將惡化甚至很快死亡。
由于冰面變薄,母海豹難以順利生產(chǎn),一些出生不久的小海豹,則可能會因跌進(jìn)冰海而夭折。