UN headquarters to be closed due to Hurricane Sandy

 UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The headquarters of the United Nations is going to be closed for at least one day because of an expected hurricane, according to a statement issued to the press here on Sunday by the UN spokesperson's office.

"Due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy, United Nations offices in New York will be closed on Monday, 29 October 2012," said the statement.

The statement also noted¹ that all meetings scheduled for Monday at the UN headquarters have been canceled.

"The closure may be extended to Tuesday, 30 October 2012," it added.

The United States on Sunday is bracing² for the impact of an incredibly large Hurricane Sandy, which could affect a big portion of the East Coast, bringing flooding and gale³ force winds from mid- Atlantic to New England.

The National Hurricane Center warned Sunday residents of the mid-Atlantic coast should expect life-threatening storm surges, as Sandy is expected to be near hurricane force at landfall, forecast to be around Monday night.

As of 8 a.m. ET, the storm was about 260 miles (420 km) southeast of Cape⁴ Hatteras, North Carolina, and about 395 miles ( 636 km) from New York City, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km). Sandy was moving at a speed of 10 miles (16 km) per hour, and is expected to move parallel along the Southeast coast Sunday, approaching the mid-Atlantic coast by Monday night.

Faced with an incoming storm, states from the Carolinas to Maine have been making preparation. Authorities are rushing to prepare for potentially devastating⁵ effects along a 700-mile (1, 126 km) stretch from the North Carolina-Virginia border to Connecticut, where Sandy could make landfall.

Public transit⁶ system is being affected⁷. In New York City, all train and bus service will stop at 7 p.m. Sunday in advance of Hurricane Sandy, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced. The closure applies to subways and commuter⁸ rail service.

Airlines have canceled hundreds of flights into airports along the US east coast ahead of the arrival of a major storm; hundreds of domestic flights have been called off. Some international flights into New York and Washington were also canceled on Monday.

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

3 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 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。

6 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。