2024-06-10 Britain’s April showers 英国四月的阵雨

英国阴雨绵绵、变幻莫测的天气是许多人茶余饭后乐此不疲的谈资。即便是在气温回暖、万物复苏、百花盛开的春天，英国也因多发 “April showers（四月阵雨）” 而闻名。究竟有哪些因素造成了英国的这种天气现象？本期 “随身英语” 探讨为何英国的四月总是阵雨连连。

词汇：rain 雨

“Take your brolly, it’s chucking it down!” The UK is famous for its rainy weather, and Brits LOVE to complain about it – particularly when the arrival of spring teases us with warmth and light, but with them come the ‘April showers‘, lovingly shared by Britain, Ireland and some of coastal northern Europe. What exactly are they, and why do they insist on coming every year?

Meteorologists differentiate between rain and showers. The UK’s national weather service, the Met Office, says that rain is precipitation brought by a weather front, is usually long-lasting, and stretches over large areas, whereas showers fall from individual clouds and are characterised by intermittent patterns. So, it can be sunny one minute, and the next you’re getting caught in a large downpour, but then ten minutes later, you can put away your waterproof jacket and get your sunnies out!

So, what’s responsible? Rob Thompson, meteorologist at the University of Reading, says that as the hot air rises, it forms the cumulus clouds that produce showers. These are then driven by the jet stream – strong winds that move northwards during spring – creating rather unsettled and unpredictable weather. Besides the drizzle, we’re just as likely to experience snow as we are to feel sun as strong as that in late August!

With all this in mind, would it surprise you to hear that April is actually one of the driest months of the whole year? In 2021, data company Statista recorded 137.6mm of rainfall in January, compared to just 20.1mm in April, with similar results for the last four years. That’s because while there are lots of rainy days in April, the showers are scattered, and there aren’t as many of the long downpours we see in the winter months. But, this is likely to change as the world warms up. Weather that causes flash floods is predicted to be four times as frequent in Britain by the 2070s, according to a study by Elizabeth Kendon and colleagues, published in Nature Communications.

There is a British proverb that goes “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers”. It is a reminder that, despite our complaints, April showers can be a symbol for renewal and new beginnings. So Brits, instead of complaining about the drizzly days, why not romanticise that pitter-patter sound that brings us the colourful spring bloom?

词汇表

brolly 雨伞
chuck it down 下瓢泼大雨
shower 阵雨
meteorologist 气象学家
precipitation 降水
weather front 气象 “锋”
intermittent 断断续续的
downpour 暴雨，骤雨
waterproof 防水的
sunnies 太阳镜，墨镜
cumulus 积云
jet stream 急流，喷射气流
unsettled 变幻莫测的
drizzle 毛毛雨
rainfall 降雨（量）
scattered 分散的，疏疏落落的
flash flood 突发性洪水
drizzly 下毛毛雨的
pitter-patter （下雨的）啪嗒啪嗒声

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Where are April showers commonly experienced?

2. How does the Met Office differentiate between rain and showers?

3. What creates the unsettled weather in April?

4. True or False? April is the wettest month in the whole year.  

5. How are weather patterns predicted to change in Britain by the 2070s?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The _______ coming from the west is expected to bring heavy rainfall.

intermittent                   meteorologist                   weather front                   jet

2. She always carried her _______ in her handbag, in case it started raining.

brolly                            sunnies                            flash                                shower

3. We shouldn’t go out in that weather. It’s absolutely _______!

drizzling                       chucking it down               rainfalling                        unsettling

4. Listening to the _______ of raindrops helped the children fall asleep.

flashing                         precipitation                     pitter-patter                     jet stream

5. It was a _______ morning, but we didn’t get too wet walking to work.

drizzle                           drizzly                             drizzling                           drizzler

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Where are April showers commonly experienced?

April showers are commonly experienced in Britain, Ireland and some of coastal northern Europe.

2. How does the Met Office differentiate between rain and showers?

The Met Office says that rain is precipitation brought by a weather front, is usually long-lasting, and stretches over large areas, whereas showers fall from individual clouds and are characterised by intermittent patterns.

3. What creates the unsettled weather in April?

The unsettled weather in April is created because hot air rises, which forms Cumulus clouds. These are then driven by the jet stream.

4. True or False? April is the wettest month in the whole year.  

False. April is one of the driest months in the whole year, despite frequent showers.

5. How are weather patterns predicted to change in Britain by the 2070s?

Weather patterns are predicted to change in Britain by the 2070s with flash floods becoming four times as frequent.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The weather front coming from the west is expected to bring heavy rainfall.

2. She always carried her brolly in her handbag, in case it started raining.

3. We shouldn’t go out in that weather. It’s absolutely chucking it down!

4. Listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops helped the children fall asleep.

5. It was a drizzly morning, but we didn’t get too wet walking to work.