[Grammar] are of the opinion

[anhnha]

Hi all,
Would you please tell me the meaning of "are of the opinion" in the following paragraph?
And please give me the usage of this structure with some examples.

Yes, it is true that there is a mass of evidence to indicate that the world is getting warmer, with one of the world's leading weather predictors stating that air temperatures have shown an increase of just under half a degree Celsius since the beginning of the twentieth century. And while this may not sound like anything worth losing sleep over, the international press would have us believe that the consequences could be devastating. Other experts, however, are of the opinion that what we are seeing is just part of a natural upward and downward swing that has always been part of the cycle of global weather.

Thank for help!

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

NOT A TEACHER

4 be of the opinion (that) to think that something is true : I was firmly of the opinion that we should not give Jackson any more money.

Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

 

[charliedeut]

Hi,

It means, simply, that other experts 'believe' or 'think' "that what we are seeing is just part of a natural upward and downward swing that has always been part of the cycle of global weather."

It is just a formal way of sayin it, in line with the wordy style of the paragraph.

charliedeut