09-13-07

颶風溫貝托撲向路易斯安納州西南地區 (Hurricane Humberto Moves Toward SouthwesternLouisiana)

美國氣象科學家說，颶風溫貝托向美國路易斯安納州的西南部移動，風速為每小時130公里。設在邁阿密的國家颶風中心說，預計颶風溫貝托星期四繼續向內陸移動後風速會減弱。當地官員說，颶風溫貝托星期四早些時候在德克薩斯州沿海登陸之後導致電力中斷並造成房屋損害。

氣象預報專家已對德克薩斯海艾蘭以東以及臨近的路易斯安納州發出熱帶風暴警告。預計，溫貝托將給德克薩斯和路易斯安納的沿海地區帶來多達25釐米的雨水。

氣像人員警告說，溫貝托可能會給沿海地區帶去高達90釐米的洪水。

U.S. weather scientists say Hurricane Humberto has made its way to southwestern Louisiana with winds of 130 kilometers per hour. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Humberto is expected to weaken as it continues to move inland Thursday. Local officials say Humberto caused power outages and damage to homes as it made landfall earlier Thursday on the coast of Texas.

Forecasters have issued tropical storm warning from east of High Island, Texas to neighboring Louisiana. Humberto is expected to dump up to 25 centimeters of rain over the coast of Texas and Louisiana Thursday.

Forecasters warn that Humberto could produce flooding of up to 90 centimeters in coastal areas.

潘基文稱全球變暖及沙漠化為對人類兩威脅 (Ban Calls Global Warming and Growing Deserts Twin Threats to Humanity)

聯合國秘書長潘基文說，全球暖化和沙漠擴張兩項威脅對人類構成了“無與倫比挑戰”。潘基文星期三在馬德里舉行的控制沙漠化聯合國會議上發表上述講話。

他說，全球變暖和氣候變化可能進一步加重包括非洲部份地區在內的一些乾旱地區面臨的日漸擴張的沙漠化、旱災以及糧食安全等問題。他還說全球暖化可能會造成更多貧困以及人口被迫遷移。潘基文說，者兩項挑戰需要人類作出前所未有的回應。

這次的馬德里會議預計星期五結束。本次會議是為今年12月在印度尼西亞召開一次重要的全球變暖問題大會做準備。

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the twin threats of global warming and spreading deserts pose what he calls "unrivaled challenges to humanity." Mr. Ban addressed a U.N. conference to combat desertification Wednesday in Madrid.

He said global warming and shifting weather patterns could worsen the problems of encroaching deserts, drought, and food security in places that are already dry, including parts of Africa. He also said global warming can also bring more poverty and forced migration. Mr. Ban said the two challenges demand an unprecedented response.

The Madrid conference is scheduled to last until Friday. It is part of the preparation for a major conference on global warming in December in Indonesia.