‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather
Summary
Scientists say the climate crisis caused by burning fossil fuels made extreme hot, dry, and windy weather much more likely in Spain and France. This helped fuel huge wildfires that have killed people, destroyed homes, and caused severe air pollution across parts of Europe.Key Facts
- Climate change made wildfire-friendly weather at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France.
- Scientists used a measurement called daily severity ratings (DSR) to assess wildfire risk during peak fire periods.
- Wet winters followed by hot, dry summers created more plant growth that then dried out, providing more fuel for fires.
- Wildfires in Spain and France killed people, destroyed thousands of houses, and forced over 300,000 people to evacuate.
- Smoke from the fires caused air pollution up to 20 times above healthy levels and affected areas up to 400 km away.
- The fires began early in the season, signaling the climate crisis is increasing wildfire risks earlier and more intensely.
- Big wildfires also occurred in the UK and Greece, where three firefighters died.
- UN climate chief stressed the link between burning fossil fuels and worsening wildfires, urging faster shifts to renewable energy.
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