熱浪炙烤美國西部，加州自2001年以來首次實行輪流停電

熱浪炙烤美國西部，加州自2001年以來首次實行輪流停電

The sun sets through smoke created by the Ranch Fire this week in Azusa, Calif. The heat wave will likely hinder firefighting efforts, but at least the strong winds that fuel wildfires are not expected.

本周，太陽從加利福尼亞州阿祖薩的農(nóng)場大火產(chǎn)生的煙霧中落下。熱浪可能會阻礙滅火工作，但至少不會引發(fā)助長野火的強風。

California electricity providers instituted rolling blackouts Friday night — the first since 2001 — as an intense and prolonged heat wave settled over much of the Western U.S.

隨著一股強烈而持久的熱浪席卷美國西部大部分地區(qū)，加州電力供應商在周五晚上開始實施輪流停電，這是自2001年以來的第一次輪流停電。

Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have experienced brief power outages through the evening, after the body that manages most of the state's electric utilities declared a Stage 3 emergency to help reduce stress on the larger grid.

據(jù)信，在管理該州大部分電力設施的機構宣布進入三級緊急狀態(tài)，以幫助減輕大電網(wǎng)的壓力后，數(shù)十萬人在整個晚上經(jīng)歷了短暫的停電。

Electricity demand surged through the day as temperatures topped the triple digits in many parts of the state and people cranked up fans and air-conditioning units to try to stay cool.

由于該州許多地區(qū)的氣溫超過三位數(shù)，人們打開電扇和空調(diào)來降溫，電力需求一整天都在飆升。

The emergency order was rescinded before midnight and power was fully restored to all affected households, the California Independent System Operator said in a tweet.

加州獨立電力系統(tǒng)運營商在推特上表示，緊急命令在午夜前被撤銷，所有受影響家庭的電力已經(jīng)完全恢復。

Still, demand for electricity is expected to remain high through the weekend and well into next week. The heat wave blanketing much of California and other parts of the Western U.S. is expected to persist until at least Thursday, with many places expected to see record high maximum and minimum temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast raises questions about future electricity demand and the potential for more blackouts.

不過，電力需求預計將在本周末一直居高不下，直至下周。據(jù)美國國家氣象局稱，席卷加州大部分地區(qū)和美國西部其他地區(qū)的熱浪預計將至少持續(xù)到周四，許多地方的最高和最低氣溫預計將創(chuàng)歷史新高。這一預測引發(fā)了人們對未來電力需求和可能發(fā)生的更多停電的疑問。

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at University of California, Los Angeles, says the heat wave could be the worst in more than a decade.

加州大學洛杉磯分校的氣候科學家丹尼爾·斯溫說，這次熱浪可能是十多年來最嚴重的一次。

Extreme heat is a silent killer, responsible for more deaths than any other natural disaster. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that heat killsmore than 600 people in the U.S. every year.

極端高溫是一個無聲的殺手，造成的死亡人數(shù)比其他任何自然災害都要多。美國疾病控制和預防中心估計，美國每年有600多人死于高溫。

However, a recent study by researchers at Boston University and the University of British Columbia in Canada suggests the number may actually be far higher — possibly as high as 5,600 annually — with even moderate heat waves increasing the number of deaths.

然而，波士頓大學和加拿大英屬哥倫比亞大學的研究人員最近的一項研究表明，實際死亡人數(shù)可能要高得多，可能高達每年5600人，即使是中等程度的熱浪也會增加死亡人數(shù)。

Climate change is making heat waves more frequent and more intense in the Western U.S., scientists say, and it's doing the same to wildfires.

科學家稱，氣候變化使得美國西部的熱浪更加頻繁和強烈，野火也更加頻繁和強烈。

Fire season is just beginning in California, with more than dozen blazes burning through the state. The heat wave won't help firefighting efforts, and there are concerns it could dry out vegetation in other parts of the West, setting the stage for future fires. Fortunately, strong winds — a chief driver of California's recent deadly fires — are not forecast in the coming week. But that also means that unhealthy air and higher-than-normal humidity are likely to remain in parts of the state.

加州的火災季節(jié)才剛剛開始，全州有十幾起大火在燃燒。熱浪無助于消防工作，人們擔心熱浪會使西部其他地區(qū)的植被干枯，為未來的火災埋下隱患。幸運的是，預計未來一周不會有強風(強風是加州最近致命火災的主要誘因)。但這也意味著危險的空氣和高于正常濕度的空氣很可能會存在于該州的部分地區(qū)。