Extreme weather ‘record’ likely in Arctic Circle, says UN weather agency WMO

23 June 2020

Climate Change UN

Reports that temperatures in a Russian town in the Arctic Circle likely reached a record 38C (100.4F), last weekend, have been approved by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)pending final verification, it said on Tuesday.

the Arctic circle：北极圈  Arctic/ˈɑːktɪk/ 北极的，极寒的  WMO 世界气象组织

Meteorological /ˌmiːtɪərəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/ 气象学的 meteorology 气象学

pend /pɛnd/ 1.V to await judgment or settlement 等候判定或决定 2.N an archway or vaulted passage 拱道; 拱廊

“The WMO is seeking to verify reports of a new temperature record north of the Arctic circle”, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva. “It was reported in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk amid a prolonged Siberian heatwave and increase in wildfire activity.”

Geneva： /dʒi'ni:və/ 日内瓦

amid prep. /əˈmɪd/ 1.in the middle of or during sth, especially sth that causes excitement or fear 在…过程中；在…中•He finished his speech amid tremendous applause. 他在雷鸣般的掌声中结束了演讲。  2.surrounded by sth 在…中；四周是

prolonged adj. /prəˈlɒŋd/  continuing for a long time 持久的；长期的

Siberian heatwave：西伯利亚热浪 Siberian /sai'biəriən/ 西伯利亚的

heatwave n. /ˈhiːtweɪv/  a period of unusually hot weather 酷热期；热浪

wildfire：wild-fire野火

If the Russian authorities confirm the temperature observation taken last Saturday, WMO will then refer the finding for a further detailed review by an international panel of experts, Ms. Nullis explained.

The region of Eastern Siberia now in the spotlight is known for its weather extremes in winter and in summer, with temperatures above 30C (86F) not unusual in July.

in the spotlight：处于公众注意的中心

This latest report of an Arctic temperature more typical of the Tropics comes a few months after the Argentine research base, Esperanza, on the northern tip of the Antarctic peninsula, set a new record temperature of 18.4C (65.3F) on 6 February. Arctic heating up twice as fast

Tropics：热带地区    Argentine /ˈɑːdʒəntaɪn/ 阿根廷人，阿根廷的

Antarctic /ænˈtɑːktɪk/ 南极地区   peninsula /pəˈnɪnsjələ/半岛

According to WMO, the Arctic is heating at roughly twice the global average. The heat spike follows a prolonged Siberian heatwave and wildfire period, Ms. Nullis explained, after an unusually warm spring that was also characterised by a lack of snow.

Data from WMO shows that May was about 10C (18.5F) above average in many parts of Siberia, “and it was this extraordinary heat which actually drove, made the warmest May on record for…the northern hemisphere, and also we think at a global level as well”, said Ms. Nullis.

According to WMO, air temperatures in the Arctic from 2016 to 2019 were the highest on record.

hemisphere /ˈhemɪsfɪə(r)/（大脑的）半球；（球体）半球；南北半球

Sea ice declines

Equally worrying, the volume of Arctic sea ice in September 2019 – after the melting season - declined by more than 50 per cent, compared to the average from 1979 to 2019.

WMO’s verification process involves requesting additional information from the Russian meteorological service Roshydromet, including the readings, the type of equipment used and how the observation corresponds to others taken by surrounding weather stations.

“Those data will then be very carefully examined by an international panel of atmospheric scientists who, once they discussed it, will make a recommendation as to whether or not the observation is valid,” said Professor Randall Cerveny, WMO Rapporteur, in a statement.

rapporteur n. /ˌræpɔːˈtɜː(r)/ ( from French )( technical 术语 ) a person officially chosen by an organization to investigate a problem and report on it 特派调查员

He added: “The end result will be incredibly valuable information that will help climate scientists better understand climate, engineers and medical doctors better prepare for climate extremes and even the general public in achieving a better appreciation of climate change across this planet.”

原文链接：https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/06/1066882