時尚雙語:“拉尼娜”將持續至今年春季
La Nina seen gradually weakening in 2009: NOAA
The La Nina weather anomaly will persist into the spring of 2009 but should gradually weaken during that period, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday.
In a monthly update, the CPC said "a majority of the model forecasts ... indicate a gradual weakening of La Nina through February-April 2009, with an eventual transition to neutral conditions."
CPC is an office under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The body said La Nina will last into spring of this year.
La Nina literally means "little girl" in Spanish. It results in cooler-than-normal waters in the Pacific Ocean. The more famous El Nino weather phenomenon has the opposite effect.
Scientists believe La Nina spurs hurricane formation in the Atlantic basin by hindering wind shear that breaks up storms as they form.
CPC said the potential impact of La Nina during February to April 2009 include above average precipitation in the Ohio and Tennessee valleys and below average rainfall in the southwestern and southeastern United States.
It said the other impacts are below average temperatures in the Pacific Northwest and above average temperatures in much of the southern United States.
Indonesia, the most populous country in Southeast Asia and a major producer of coffee, cocoa, palm oil and other agricultural products, could get above average precipitation, the CPC added.
El Nino -- which means ' little boy' in Spanish -- wreaks havoc in weather patterns across the Asia-Pacific regions. The most devastating struck in 1997/98 when it caused withering drought in Australia and Indonesia while spawning floods in Peru and Ecuador.
It was named after the Christ child by Latin American anchovy fishermen in the 19th century who first took note of the weather anomaly.
美國氣候預測中心於上週四稱，“拉尼娜”氣候現象將持續至2009年春季，但在此期間其影響將逐漸減弱。
美國氣候預測中心在其月度刊物中稱，“多數模型預測結果顯示，拉尼娜現象從今年2月至4月期間將逐漸減弱，最終將過渡爲正常狀態。
隸屬於國家海洋和大氣局（NOAA）的美國氣候預測中心稱，拉尼娜現象將持續至今年春季。
“拉尼娜”（La Nina）在西班牙語中的意思爲“小女孩”。這種氣候現象會導致太平洋海水溫度低於正常水平，而更爲著名的“厄爾尼諾”現象所導致的後果則正好相反。
科學家認爲，由於“拉尼娜”阻礙了可破壞暴風雨形成的風切變，所以它會促使大西洋洋麪形成颶風。
美國氣候預測中心稱，2009年2月至4月間，“拉尼娜“現象的潛在影響包括：俄亥俄州和田納西州山谷地區降水量將高於平均水平，而美國西南部和東南部地區的降水量將低於平均水平。
其他影響包括，西北太平洋地區氣溫將低於平均水平，美國南方大部分地區氣溫將高於平均水平。
美國氣候預測中心稱，在此期間，東南亞地區人口最密集的國家印度尼西亞的降水量將高於平均水平。印度尼西亞是咖啡、可可、棕櫚油和其它農作物的主要生產國。
在西班牙語中意爲“聖嬰”的“厄爾尼諾”現象則對亞太地區的氣候造成了嚴重影響。最具破壞性的“厄爾尼諾”事件發生於1997年至1998年間，當時這一氣候現象導致澳大利亞和印度尼西亞出現嚴重乾旱，祕魯和厄瓜多爾則遭遇了洪災。
“厄爾尼諾”得名於19世紀，當時拉丁美洲一名捕撈鳳尾魚的漁民最早注意到了這種天氣異常現象，並將之命名爲“聖嬰（El Nino）”。
Vocabulary:
weather anomaly:天氣反常
