總算熬過了炎熱夏天，但你想過這個冬天可能會被凍哭嗎？目前赤道中東太平洋已進入拉尼娜狀態，并可能發展成一次拉尼娜事件。和厄爾尼諾一樣，這個小女孩會攪亂全球氣候，但影響卻與厄爾尼諾相反，容易造成我國冬季氣候偏冷，容易出現冷冬。統計顯示，1954年以來，拉尼娜事件影響年份里，我國有80%的冬季偏冷！所以大家做好心理準備吧！

The long awaited La Nina, which was first predicted by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) back in April, has finally arrived in the Pacific Ocean, NOAA announced Thursday -- and it's expected to stick around through the winter.
美國國家海洋和大氣管理局（NOAA）周四宣稱，早在今年四月就被美國氣候預測中心（CPC）第一次預測出的拉尼娜現象終于出現在太平洋海域，根據預測，拉尼娜將會在該海域逗留整個冬天。

La Nina conditions, which are characterized by below-normal sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, were observed during October and have persisted into November -- prompting the CPC to raise the ENSO Alert System from a La Nia Watch to a La Nia Advisory.
拉尼娜現象，即熱帶太平洋海域海表面低于常溫的現象，通常始于十月并延續到十一月。美國氣候預測中心已經將厄爾尼諾南方濤動警報系統里的拉尼娜警戒級別從“監視”提升至“警報”。

La Nina, much like its warmer counterpart, El Nino, have far reaching global impacts extending beyond the Pacific Ocean.
拉尼娜現象，跟它更為溫暖一些的小伙伴厄爾尼諾現象（海水變暖現象）一樣，早已開始影響太平洋之外的區域，造成深遠的全球影響。

For the United States, NOAA forecasters say the current La Nina will "likely contribute to drier and warmer weather in the southern US and wetter, cooler conditions in the Pacific Northwest and across to the northern tier of the nation this winter."
美國國家海洋和大氣管理局（NOAA）預報員聲稱，目前的拉尼娜現象很有可能導致今年冬季美國南部更溫暖、干燥；臨近太平洋的西北部及北部地帶更陰冷、潮濕。

This is bad news for the southeast, which is currently seeing an expanding and worsening drought.
這對于美國東南部來說是個壞消息，該地區的旱災正逐漸蔓延、愈發嚴重。

Following an autumn that had well above-average temperatures and scant rainfall has left more than 20% of the region in an Extreme or Exceptional Drought, the two highest designations in the US Drought Monitor.
在降水稀少、氣溫遠超平時的秋天過后，全美超過20%的地方遇到了極度干旱或異常干旱的天氣，這也是美國干旱監測系統指定的兩個最干旱的天氣名稱。

This is a 10-fold increase from the severity of the drought in early August, with northern Alabama and northern Georgia facing the worst of the drought conditions.
目前的旱災比八月初的旱災嚴重十倍之多，阿拉巴馬州北部和喬治亞州北部成為了受災最為嚴重的兩個地區。

La Nina "is likely to contribute to persisting or developing drought across much of the southern US this winter," said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center.
美國氣候預測中心副主任麥克?哈爾佩特說，拉尼娜“很有可能使美國南部的旱災在今年冬天延續或擴大。”

The predicted arrival of La Nina largely influenced the CPC's US Winter Outlook released in October.
預測即將來臨的拉尼娜現象在很大程度上影響了美國氣候預測中心（CPC）十月份發布的《美國冬季展望氣候前景》。

Fortunately, the current La Nina is weak and is expected to stay that way through the winter.
幸運的是，目前拉尼娜現象較為微弱，并預計將保持整個冬季。

This should keep the impact from being as severe as what was seen globally with 2015's record-setting El Nino, which saw deadly drought in Asia and helped make it the hottest year on record.
這種趨勢應該能保證拉尼娜現象不會重現2015年厄爾尼諾現象的威力，當年的厄爾尼諾現象是記載以來最嚴重的一次，導致亞洲遭旱災重創，2015年也因此成為史上最熱的一年。

It will be interesting to see if this La Nina can slow down the rapidly rising global temperatures and prevent 2016 from outpacing 2015 and becoming the third consecutive hottest year for the planet.
有意思的是，這次的拉尼娜現象或許能夠減緩正在快速上升的全球氣溫，并防止2016年氣溫將高于2015年成為連續第三個最熱年份。

英文來源：CNN
翻譯：鴻嘉（中國日報網愛新聞iNews譯者）
編審：yaning