Name: 【BBC News】全世界已數千人中暑死亡，為何世界各國都出現過熱現象？ (Why are countries around the world experiencing excessive heat? | BBC News)
Uploaded: 2024-06-26T21:01:10.000Z
Duration: 8 min 10 s

現在進行式

We're going to start with the extreme weather that's being experienced across four continents, a sign that climate change may again help push temperatures beyond the record-breaking heat last summer.

我們將從橫跨四大洲的極端天氣說起，這表明氣候變化可能會再次推動氣溫超過去年夏天創紀錄的高溫。

In Saudi Arabia, there are reports that more than 1,000 people have died, pilgrims at the annual Hajj festival, killed by the stifling heat.

在沙烏地阿拉伯，有報導稱已有 1000 多人死亡，他們都是參加一年一度朝覲的朝聖者，被悶熱的天氣奪去了生命。

We'll have more on that in just a moment.

稍後我們會有此事件更多報導。

In India, there have been several deaths.

In the capital Delhi, temperatures were reaching more than 50 degrees Celsius.

首都德里的氣溫高達攝氏 50 多度。

In Europe, temperatures have also risen, with Greece experiencing its earliest-ever summer heatwave.

歐洲的氣溫也有所上升，希臘經歷了有史以來最早的夏季熱浪。

And in the United States, there are wildfires on one coast, made worse with high temperatures, and a tropical storm brewing on the other.

在美國，一邊是因高溫而更加嚴重的海岸野火，另一邊是正在醞釀的熱帶風暴。

Well, scientists from the World Weather Attribution have released a report today saying that human-induced climate change made recent extreme heat in the US southwest, Mexico and Central America, around 35 times more likely.

今天，世界天氣歸因的科學家們發佈了一份報告，稱人類引起的氣候變化使得美國西南部、墨西哥和中美洲近期出現極端高溫天氣的可能性增加了約 35 倍。

In their new report, scientists said such a heatwave was now four times more likely than it was in the year 2000, driven by planet-warming emissions.

科學家們在他們的新報告中說，在地球變暖排放的推動下，現在出現這種熱浪的可能性比 2000 年高出四倍。

Let's speak to Roop Singh, Head of Urban and Attribution at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.

讓我們來聽聽紅十字會紅新月會氣候中心城市和歸因負責人 Roop Singh 的看法。

她的團隊幫助編寫了這份報告。

So just talk us through the headlines here.

那就跟我們說說這裡的頭條新聞吧。

Yeah, so the heatwave that we saw in Central America and North America is just evidence of the climate change that we're seeing around the world.

是的，我們在中美洲和北美洲看到的熱浪就是我們在世界各地看到的氣候變化的證據。

In our attribution study, we found that climate change made the maximum temperatures 35 times more likely, and the night-time temperatures up to 200 times more likely.

在我們的歸因研究中，我們發現氣候變化使最高氣溫上升的可能性增加了 35 倍，使夜間氣溫上升的可能性增加了 200 倍。

And that's really significant because it's really the night-time temperatures when your body is supposed to rest and recover that has impacts on human health.

這一點非常重要，因為夜間氣溫才是人體休息和恢復的最佳時間，對人體健康產生影響。

And that's what's actually causing a lot of these heat-related deaths.

而這正是造成大量高溫致死的原因。

And just remind us of the mechanism here.

What is happening in what is heating what to lead to these temperatures?

是什麼在加熱什麼，導致溫度如此之高？

Yeah, so we know that climate change is caused by increasing greenhouse gases, and essentially those greenhouse gases act to warm the planet around the world,

是的，我們知道氣候變化是由不斷增加的溫室氣體引起的，從本質上講，這些溫室氣體會使全球變暖，

but they're also acting to sort of supercharge weather systems.

So we're starting to see these heat domes and essentially heat stick around for an extended period of time in different parts of the world.

所以，我們開始看到這些熱穹頂，而且基本上熱量會在世界不同地區持續很長時間。

We saw that in Mexico and Central America, and we're also starting to see that now in the northern and eastern parts of the United States.

我們在墨西哥和中美洲看到了這種情況，現在我們在美國北部和東部地區也開始看到這種情況。

So essentially, it's an area of high pressure.

從本質上講，這是一個高壓區。

It's a place where you have not a lot of clouds, not a lot of rainfall, but essentially, you just have high temperatures that stick around for days and days.

這裡雲量不多，降雨量也不大，但基本上高溫會持續數天。

And essentially the duration of that heat causes a lot of impacts both on infrastructure but also on people.

從本質上講，高溫的持續時間會對基礎設施和人類造成很大影響。

And people just aren't able to cope when it's hot during the day and at night continuously for days on end.

白天和晚上連續幾天的炎熱天氣讓人難以忍受。

So people are going to have to try and adapt now.

Is it possible, before we get on to adaptations, is it possible to predict where and when this is going to happen?

在我們進行適應性改造之前，是否有可能預測這種情況會在何時何地發生？

So we have heatwave early warning systems, and we have typically, lots of warning before a heatwave occurs.

我們有熱浪預警系統，在熱浪來臨之前通常會有很多預警。

And so in most parts of the world we are able to predict what the maximum temperatures are going to be days in advance,

在世界大部分地區，我們能夠提前幾天預測最高氣溫，

and therefore, it actually is a big opportunity for us to be able to use that information to reduce the impacts, to warn people in advance of the heatwaves.

這實際上是我們利用這些資訊減少影響、提前向人們發出熱浪警報的一個大好機會。

Okay, so if the warnings could be in place, what then?

如果警告可以到位，那接下來怎麼辦？

So there's individual actions, so essentially, cooling yourself, making sure that you're drinking water, cooling your home, so passive cooling technologies,

人們可以採取一些個人行動，比如為自己降溫、確保飲水、為家庭降溫，比如被動降溫技術、

shading your homes, making sure you're planting trees outside, or just closing the shades when it's really hot is what people can do.

為家庭遮陽、確保在室外植樹，或者在非常炎熱的時候關上窗簾。

But then you also have organisations like the Red Cross, where we're providing first aid for people who are affected by heat stroke, for example, helping people recognise the signs of heat-related illnesses and take action before it's too late.

但也有像紅十字會這樣的組織，我們為受中暑影響的人提供急救，例如，幫助人們識別與熱有關的疾病的跡象，並在為時已晚之前採取行動。

And then of course, cities and governments can work together to develop heat action plans, and that means essentially knowing what they're going to do, what services are they going to provide when there is a heatwave.

當然，城市和政府還可以合作制定防暑降溫行動計劃，這意味著在熱浪來臨時，他們基本上知道自己要做什麼，要提供什麼服務。

Are they going to open up a cooling centre?

Are they going to distribute water, ensuring that people have adequate access to electricity, which they need in order to cool their homes during a heatwave.

他們是否要分發水，確保人們有足夠的電力供應，因為在熱浪期間，人們需要電力來冷卻自己的房屋。

Roop Singh, thank you very much for coming on the programme, thank you.

Roop Singh，非常感謝你能來參加節目，謝謝。

Right, we're going to take a closer look at what's happening with the weather in the United States.

好了，我們來仔細看看美國的天氣情況。

Now our correspondent, Nami Iqbal, is in Washington DC.

本臺記者 Nami Iqbal 正在華盛頓特區採訪。

Hi Nami, just talk us through what's happening.

嗨，Nami，跟我們說說發生了什麼。

Well, Lewis, today is officially the first day of summer, and what a start.

Lewis，今天是夏天的第一天，真是一個好的開始。

You've got more than a quarter of the population that's under an excessive heat advisory, and generally 135 million people are impacted.

有超過四分之一的人口處於過熱警告狀態，總計有 1.35 億人受到影響。

And temperatures have hit more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and are expected to go well over 100 from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic, right up to New England.

氣溫已超過華氏 90 度，預計從俄亥俄河谷到大西洋中部，直至新英格蘭，氣溫都將遠遠超過 100 度。

I mean, Maine, if you think about that, that's the easternmost state in the US, doesn't usually get excessive heat, but it's thought that records will be broken there.

緬因州是美國最東部的一個州，通常不會出現過熱的天氣，但人們認為那裡的氣溫會打破記錄。

And in some parts on the East Coast, like New York City, school is out for some, a lot of schools closed up today to let children go home early, because of the excessive heat.

在東海岸的一些地區，比如紐約市，由於天氣過於炎熱，一些學校已經停課，很多學校今天關閉，讓孩子們提前回家。

Over on the West Coast, we're seeing these wildfires break out, and it's worth mentioning that this happens, but it's happening more frequently, with more ferocity.

在西海岸，我們看到這些野火爆發，值得一提的是，這種情況時有發生，但發生的頻率更高，火勢更凶猛

You know, we heard that some of the advice that's been given, and generally the advice is,

你知道，我們聽到了一些建議，一般的建議是，

especially for vulnerable people, children, the elderly, those who work outdoors, especially here, you see them like a lot of construction workers in DC, to just really look after yourself, seek shade, make sure you drink lots of water.

特別是對於弱勢群體、兒童、老人、那些在戶外工作的人，尤其是在這裡，你會看到他們，比如特區的很多建築工人，要真正照顧好自己，尋找陰涼處，確保多喝水。

Here in DC, it's about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

華盛頓特區的氣溫約為華氏 90 度。

There is some cloud cover, so it doesn't feel as sort of stuffy and swampy and stifling as it has been in the past few days,

雖然有雲層遮擋，感覺不像過去幾天那樣悶熱、潮溼和悶熱，

but the temperatures here are expected to hit over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the weekend, and there will be some respites.

但預計週末這裡的氣溫將超過華氏 100 度，會有一些喘息的機會。

A meteorologist reckoned that the temperatures might dip low, but then they will come right back up again next week and onwards.

一位氣象學家估計，氣溫可能會下降，但下週及以後又會回升。

And Nami, given everything you've just talked about there, has this seeped into the political discourse?

Nami，鑑於你剛才談到的一切，這是否已經滲入到政治討論中？

Well, it's usually the same sort of messages that we get, is just keep safe as much as you can.

通常我們收到的資訊都是一樣的，就是儘量保證安全。

You know, it's kind of sort of follow the common sense advice,

but as I mentioned, for those who are in a certain group: childdren, the elderly, those who work outside, need to work outside all day, just manage that, you know, drink as much water as possible, get shade where you can.

但正如我所提到的，特定人群，如兒童、老人、在室外工作的人，需要整天在室外工作的人，只需管理好這些人，你知道，儘可能多喝水，在可能的地方遮蔭。

There are like lots of trees around here in DC, you know, we're sort of standing under one so we can get some shade, but just try and look after yourself in that way.

特區附近有很多樹，我們就站在一棵樹下，這樣就能遮蔭了。

There are also those vulnerable people who take certain kinds of medicine that you really can't regulate in this kind of heat.

還有那些服用某種藥物的脆弱人群，在這樣的高溫下，你真的無法調節。

So it's, you know, warnings for them as well.

所以，你知道，這也是對他們的警告。

Look, it always gets hot in DC, I have to say, you know, I've been here for a few years and every summer it's really, really hot.

聽著，特區總是很熱，我得說，我在這裡待了幾年，每年夏天都非常非常熱。

I think this, the prediction is that it's going to get much, much hotter.

我認為，根據預測，天氣會變得更加炎熱。

So just, you know, really heed that advice.

所以，你要知道，真的要聽從這個建議。