VOA新闻杂志2024--While US Freezes, Much of the World Experiences Record Heat

While US Freezes, Much of the World Experiences Record Heat

Many parts of the world have experienced record-high temperatures in recent days.

But much of the United States is dealing¹ with extremely cold weather, thanks to what is known as a polar vortex.

A map showing world temperatures over the last several days had a dark red color in the Arctic, Asia, the Middle East, South America and parts of Africa. The dark red means the temperatures are 7 degrees Celsius² warmer than the average from just over 20 years ago.

The United States is one of the only places on the map that is dark blue, meaning very cold.

In the state of North Dakota, wind chills reached minus 56 degrees Celsius. Last week in the state of Missouri, a professional American football game took place as temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

On the other side of the world, the world's top tennis players are playing in unusually warm weather in Melbourne, Australia. The Australian Open is taking place as the city records temperatures nearly 7 degrees warmer than average.

The African nation of Oman is in the northern hemisphere, where it is winter. It recently set a record for the warmest January night at 26.4 Celsius. Parts of the southern hemisphere are experiencing warmer-than-usual weather, too. Argentina set a record for warmest January night at 27.3 degrees Celsius.

Climate scientists say these extreme temperatures are due to warming in the Arctic.

They say warming temperatures in the Arctic affect the weather all around the world. The pattern called a polar vortex is not unusual in the Arctic. However, experts say as temperatures in the north warm, the polar vortex widens and affects Canada and the United States.

Jennifer Francis is with the Woodwell Research Center in Massachusetts. She is a leading researcher in the theory of Arctic Amplification³, which links the periods of cold weather to climate change.

She said, "When the Arctic is off-the-charts warm (like now), we're more likely to see frigid⁴ cold invade places like Texas that are ill-equipped to deal with it," she said.

Francis added, "Rapid Arctic warming is one of the clearest symptoms of human-caused climate change."

Judah Cohen works for Atmospheric⁵ Environmental Research, a commercial weather company near Boston, Massachusetts. He compared the polar vortex to an ice skater doing a spin.

When a skater spins very quickly, the "vortex" winds stay close to the skater. But if the skater slows down, the winds lose their tight circle.

"All the cold air then gets released away from the center of the polar vortex," Cohen said.

When that happens in January, the target of the cold air is the United States. Cohen said the current polar vortex is stronger and longer lasting⁶ than usual.

Marshall Shepherd is a meteorology professor at the University of Georgia. He said that right now, there is a "complex interaction within our climate system."

"Winter will always bring us cold weather, but like the warm season, it may be changing [in] ways that we understand and [in] ways that we are still learning about," Shepherd said.

The weather experts said the extreme cold in the U.S. will change to unusually warm weather in several days. But another polar vortex is expected to hit at the end of January.

Words in This Story

wind chill –n. a measurement of cold based on the wind speed and temperature outside

off-the-charts –expression. not able to be measured based on expected numbers

frigid –adj. extremely cold

spin –v. to move in circular motion on a central point

meteorology –n. the study of weather and weather patters

interaction –n. the combination of two things when mixed

1 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。

2 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。

3 amplification   

n.扩大，发挥

参考例句：

• The voice of despair may be weak and need amplification.绝望的呼声可能很微弱，需要扩大。
• Some of them require further amplification.其中有些内容需进一步详细阐明。

4 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

5 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。

6 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。