（注：原文發表于 2020 年 8 月 7 日。）英國迎來了自 2003 年以來，八月份最炎熱的一天，英格蘭東南部的氣溫超過 36 攝氏度。人們紛紛前往海邊享受陽光充沛的天氣，但同時，各地市委會勸誡海邊度假者保持社交距離。

The British weather is notoriously fickle, but by any standards, we’re seeing some bizarre features of it right now.

英國的天氣是出了名的變化莫測，但無論以任何標準來衡量，我們都可以看到英國現在的天氣出現了一些反常的特征。

A huge difference in temperature from the north of the UK to the south. And while torrential rains caused flooding in parts of Wales, blazing sunshine has continued to bake central and southern England. Taps have even run dry in West Sussex, as a surge in demand for water has led to a drop in pressure. The heatwave, persisting for longer than expected, is just one example of a year of extremes, according to Aidan McGivern of the Met Office. 

英國北部到南部的溫差很大。盡管暴雨導致威爾士部分地區出現洪水，但熾熱的陽光仍炙烤著英格蘭中部和南部。在西蘇塞克斯，水龍頭甚至已經干涸了，這是因為用水需求的激增導致水壓降低。據英國氣象局的艾丹·麥克吉弗恩稱，這次持續時間比預期更長的熱浪只是今年極端天氣的一個例子。

While high temperatures are welcomed for anyone on holiday, they are a big concern for the elderly and other vulnerable people, especially if it remains warm overnight, and there’s no chance for buildings to lose the heat of the day. And what the Met Office describes as tropical nights, which stay above 20 degrees Celsius, have become far more common in recent decades.

雖然外出度假的人都喜歡高溫，但對于老年人和高危人群來說，這是一個大問題，如果夜間溫度持續不降，建筑物無法釋放一天內積聚的熱量，問題則尤為嚴重。英國氣象局將溫度保持在20攝氏度以上的夜晚稱作 “熱帶夜晚”，這類夜晚在近幾十年來出現得更加頻繁。

Climate scientists say, that rising global temperatures make extreme heat more likely.

氣候科學家們表示，不斷上升的全球氣溫使極端高溫發生的可能性更大。

詞匯

fickle 變幻無常的，變化莫測的
bizarre 異乎尋常的，罕見的
torrential rains 傾盆大雨，暴雨
blazing 炙熱的
bake 把…烤熱
surge 激增
pressure 壓力
heatwave 熱浪
vulnerable 高危的，易受影響的
heat 熱量，高溫
tropical 熱帶的

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. True or false? The British weather is known for being predictable.

2. Why have the taps in West Sussex run dry?

3. For what types of people are the high temperatures a big concern?

4. What are ‘tropical nights’, according to the Met Office?

答案

1. True or false? The British weather is known for being predictable. 
False. The British weather is notoriously fickle, which means it is known for being unreliable and unpredictable.

2. Why have the taps in West Sussex run dry?
Because a surge in demand for water has led to a drop in pressure.

3. For what types of people are the high temperatures a big concern?
They are a big concern for the elderly and other vulnerable people.

4. What are ‘tropical nights’, according to the Met Office?
Tropical nights are nights with a minimum of temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.