中國氣象局稱超強厄爾尼諾結束 影響仍將持續

The super strong El Nino officially came to an end in May. But the lingering effects of El Nino will continue to cause larger rainfall and the possibility of severe flooding in China's coastal regions remains, warned Zhou Bing, chief engineer of the National Climate Center.

超強厄爾尼諾事件已於5月正式結束，不過國家氣候中心首席工程師周兵提醒，厄爾尼諾的殘餘影響仍將導致降水增多，我國沿海地區發生嚴重洪澇災害的可能性依然存在。

The provinces of Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi may have 50 to 80 percent more rainfall than the same period in recent years, the national meteorological authority said.

中國氣象局預計，湖北、湖南和江西省的降水量或比近年同期偏多5-8成。

After the strong El Nino, China may see the coming of La Nina, El Nino's opposite phenomenon. Together with global warming, rising sea levels may exacerbate the impact of flooding and storm surges, Zhou said.

周兵表示，強厄爾尼諾過後，中國或許將迎來與厄爾尼諾相反的拉尼娜現象。全球變暖和海平面的上升可能會加重洪水和風暴潮致災程度。

Both the El Nino and La Nina phenomena are related to abnormal ocean currents and temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, leading to global changes of temperatures and rainfall.

厄爾尼諾和拉尼娜現象都是與中東和太平洋地區的洋流、氣溫異常有關的，這導致了全球氣溫和降水出現了變化。

"We need to make full preparation for the extreme weather conditions like flood, drought and heat, due to the lingering impact of El Nino and coming of La Nina," said Zhou.

周兵表示：“由於厄爾尼諾的殘餘影響和妮娜的到來，我們要對如洪水，乾旱和炎熱等極端天氣做好準備。”

In 1998, the southern regions experienced devastating flooding after El Nino that caused heavy casualties and economic losses.

1998年，在厄爾尼諾現象之後，南方地區經歷了毀滅性的洪水災害，該災害造成了大量人員傷亡和經濟損失。