New York Is About to Feel Hotter Than Phoenix
New York Is About to Feel Hotter Than Phoenix
纽约即将迎来比凤凰城更炎热的天气
The eastern US is the latest place to be hit with intense heat as the world plays a game of hot potato. 随着全球陷入“击鼓传花”式的极端高温天气，美国东部地区成为了最新一个遭受酷暑袭击的地方。
In the coming days, New York is expected to see temperatures rise to near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), but with humidity, it could feel more like 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius). Temperatures in other cities ranging from Detroit to Washington, DC, to Boston will see temperatures 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal as the holiday weekend approaches. 未来几天，纽约的气温预计将升至接近华氏100度（摄氏38度），但受湿度影响，体感温度可能高达华氏109度（摄氏43度）。随着假期周末临近，从底特律到华盛顿特区，再到波士顿，其他城市的气温也将比往年同期高出华氏20度。
The temperatures won’t be as high as they are in Phoenix. But this isn’t a dry heat; coupled with the humidity, anyone venturing outside is sure to experience roughly the equivalent of hanging out inside a dog’s mouth. Beyond the sheer grossness of hot, humid weather, there are also very serious health concerns. 虽然这些城市的气温不会像凤凰城那样高，但这并非干燥的热浪；加上高湿度，任何外出的人都会感觉像是待在狗的嘴里一样。除了湿热天气带来的极度不适感外，这还引发了非常严重的健康担忧。
Humidity hampers sweating—the most powerful tool the human body has to cool off. Sweat removes heat from the body by evaporating into the air, but this becomes less effective in humid conditions, when the atmosphere is already full of vaporized water. “When there’s high humidity, especially in a heat wave, it’s much more difficult for the body to physiologically cool off,” says Richard Allan, a climate scientist at the University of Reading. 湿度会阻碍排汗——这是人体降温最有效的手段。汗水通过蒸发到空气中来带走体热，但在空气中已经充满水蒸气的潮湿环境下，这种降温方式的效果会大打折扣。雷丁大学的气候科学家理查德·艾伦（Richard Allan）表示：“在高湿度环境下，尤其是在热浪期间，人体在生理上降温要困难得多。”
The National Weather Service map of warnings is a patchwork of reds and pinks, with the agency raising extreme heat warnings and watches. While daytime highs will be eye-popping, overnight lows will be particularly problematic. 美国国家气象局的预警地图上布满了红色和粉色的色块，该机构已发布了极端高温预警和观察。虽然白天的最高气温令人咋舌，但夜间的最低气温将尤其令人担忧。
“Several days in a row of hot temperatures with little relief from overnight low temperatures can increase heat stress on the human body,” the NWS warned in its forecast. 美国国家气象局在预报中警告称：“连续几天的高温且夜间最低气温无法缓解，会增加人体承受的热压力。”
That danger was underscored by New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, who wrote in a social post that New Yorkers should come up with a heat plan. First and foremost that means finding access to air conditioning, then checking on neighbors and people with illnesses that may make them susceptible to heat-related health issues. 纽约市长佐兰·曼达尼（Zohran Mamdani）强调了这种危险，他在社交媒体上发文称，纽约市民应该制定防暑计划。首要任务是找到空调设施，其次是关照邻居以及那些可能因患病而易受高温影响的人群。
The blast of extreme heat comes a week after Europe dealt with record-shattering temperatures. (The continent also saw blistering temperatures and high humidity in late May.) Burning fossil fuels has ensured that nearly every heat wave is more intense than it would’ve been in a preindustrial climate. 这波极端高温袭击发生在一周前欧洲遭遇破纪录高温之后。（欧洲大陆在5月下旬也经历了酷热和高湿度天气。）燃烧化石燃料确保了几乎每一场热浪都比工业化前气候条件下更为强烈。
“The warming from rising greenhouse gases is clearly adding to global temperature, and that adds extra heat to the heat waves,” Allan says. “It promotes moderate heat to become extreme heat … These humid conditions may be more likely to be promoted into a hot, humid heat wave rather than just humid and warm.” 艾伦说：“温室气体增加导致的变暖显然正在推高全球气温，这为热浪增加了额外的热量。它促使温和的热浪演变为极端热浪……这些潮湿的环境更有可能演变成炎热潮湿的热浪，而不仅仅是潮湿和温暖。”
El Niño is another culprit that could be playing a role in this heat wave. 厄尔尼诺现象是导致此次热浪的另一个潜在因素。
The natural climate phenomenon forms every few years in the tropical Pacific, but it affects weather around the world. That includes helping boost temperatures across the northern tier of the US and parts of Canada. El Niño was declared earlier and it’s expected to be a particularly potent iteration that will only strengthen as summer goes on. With the hottest months still ahead, that means the odds are good that if you missed this chance to feel what it’s like inside a dog’s mouth, you’ll have plenty more chances. 这种自然气候现象每隔几年就会在热带太平洋形成，但它会影响全球天气。这包括推高美国北部地区和加拿大各地的气温。厄尔尼诺现象已于本月早些时候宣布形成，预计这将是一个特别强劲的周期，并随着夏季的推移而不断增强。随着最炎热的月份还在后面，这意味着如果你错过了这次体验“待在狗嘴里”的感觉，未来你还会有很多机会。