09-13-07

飓风温贝托扑向路易斯安纳州西南地区 (Hurricane Humberto Moves Toward SouthwesternLouisiana)

美国气象科学家说，飓风温贝托向美国路易斯安纳州的西南部移动，风速为每小时130公里。设在迈阿密的国家飓风中心说，预计飓风温贝托星期四继续向内陆移动后风速会减弱。当地官员说，飓风温贝托星期四早些时候在德克萨斯州沿海登陆之后导致电力中断并造成房屋损害。

气象预报专家已对德克萨斯海艾兰以东以及临近的路易斯安纳州发出热带风暴警告。预计，温贝托将给德克萨斯和路易斯安纳的沿海地区带来多达25厘米的雨水。

气像人员警告说，温贝托可能会给沿海地区带去高达90厘米的洪水。

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.

潘基文称全球变暖及沙漠化为对人类两威胁 (Ban Calls Global Warming and Growing Deserts Twin Threats to Humanity)

联合国秘书长潘基文说，全球暖化和沙漠扩张两项威胁对人类构成了“无与伦比挑战”。潘基文星期三在马德里举行的控制沙漠化联合国会议上发表上述讲话。

他说，全球变暖和气候变化可能进一步加重包括非洲部份地区在内的一些乾旱地区面临的日渐扩张的沙漠化、旱灾以及粮食安全等问题。他还说全球暖化可能会造成更多贫困以及人口被迫迁移。潘基文说，者两项挑战需要人类作出前所未有的回应。

这次的马德里会议预计星期五结束。本次会议是为今年12月在印度尼西亚召开一次重要的全球变暖问题大会做准备。

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.