未来的天气

很多人都喜欢温暖晴朗的天气，但科学研究表明，未来的夏天可能会变得太热而让人无法忍受。如果全球温室气体排放量继续上升，气候将会改变。在一些地方，炎热的夏天和温暖的冬天可能会让堆雪人和滑雪橇成为过去。

 

As winter takes its icy grip, and we head outside into a cold and crisp morning, we might be dreaming of warmer and sunnier days that lie ahead. Although, for many, summer might give us the most clement¹ weather, our changing climate might mean that our chilly² winter season becomes a thing of the past. So maybe we should enjoy it while we can.

 

Last year, the World Meteorological Organization found that the Earth continued to endure a period of significant heating, making it one of the three hottest years on record. The most notable warmth was in the Siberian Arctic, where temperatures were 5°C above average. The evidence shows that much of this climate warming is driven by human activity.

 

With a shift in meteorological conditions, we're likely to see more record-breaking temperatures, where, in certain places, summers will be scorching³ hot and winters mild. This means for some, snowy winters could become a thing of the past. In the UK, a series of projections⁴, based on accelerating global emissions⁵, found that the average coldest day would not drop below freezing point. Dr Lizzie Kendon, a senior Met Office scientist, told the BBC: "It could mean the end of sledging⁶, snowmen and snowball fights… the overarching picture is warmer, wetter winters; hotter, drier summers." She's described this as 'a wake-up call'.

 

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the obvious way to slow the rate of change in our climate. Some nations are promising⁷ to do this, but already we're experiencing less snowfall and fewer frosty mornings. And on a bigger scale, glaciers⁸ are melting. According to modelling by Aberystwyth University in the UK, up to 92% of glaciers in the Alps could be lost by the end of the century due to climate change. So, if you're lucky enough to be looking out on a winter wonderland, get outside and make the most of it before it melts.

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