August M
Summer across Southern Europe used to mean simple blue skies and relaxing heat.
Today, the warmer months bring a darker sense of dread as landscapes turn into tinderboxes. As wildfires break out, scientists are examining what is driving the flames, reports The Guardian.
A dangerous shift
Recent weather in Spain and France has turned local forests into hazards. According to The Guardian, global heating made extreme wildfire conditions at least 20 times more likely in Spain.
In France, those conditions are now twice as likely. Researchers from the World Weather Attribution group noted that burning coal, oil, and gas is directly behind this shift.
A wet winter and spring made things worse. Extra moisture boosted plant growth, which quickly dried out when summer arrived. Experts call this whiplash weather.
“What we are seeing now in Spain and France goes well beyond what we would expect from past events,” said Julie Arrighi, director of programmes at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.
Early in the season
The outbreaks are hitting Europe much earlier in the year than normal. That timing has alarmed scientists who study global climate trends.
“We’ve seen repeatedly how climate change increases hot, dry, flammable conditions that are extremely conducive to wildfires,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a research associate at Imperial College London. “What’s unique about [the July fires in Spain and France] is that it’s still early in the season, and with another heatwave looming, these findings are extremely scary. What we’re seeing is a clear sign of the escalating impacts of [human-caused] warming.”
Previous research showed an earlier June heatwave claimed 20,000 lives. That intense heat sucked moisture out of the earth, leaving soils parched across the region.
Toxic air spreads
Beyond destruction, the blazes create severe health risks. Clouds of dangerous smoke have drifted hundreds of miles from active flames.
“The smoke increased particulate [pollution] peak levels up to 20 times above what is considered ‘fair air quality’, and extremely poor air quality was felt up to 400 km away from the fires,” explained Dr Augustin Colette at the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks.
Health estimates suggest wildfire smoke shortens around 1.5 million lives globally every year. With summers growing hotter, that burden is rising.
Sources: The Guardian, World Weather Attribution
