Global warming has created weather conditions that make large-scale wildfires in France and Spain significantly more likely. This is evidenced by a new study, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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The authors of the study note that the average global temperature is already about 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels. This increases the likelihood of a combination of heat, drought, and strong winds, which create favorable conditions for the rapid spread of fires.
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According to researchers' estimates, under current climatic conditions, such "fire weather" in southwestern France could recur approximately once every 20 years, and in central Spain once every six years. In a world without anthropogenic warming, such phenomena would be significantly rarer.
Wet winter and heat created additional conditions for fires
Co-author of the study, Professor of Climate Science at Imperial College London, Friederike Otto, noted that climate change has significantly increased the frequency of weather conditions that turn individual ignitions into large-scale disasters.
The study also showed that the wet winter promoted active growth of shrubs and other vegetation, which subsequently dried out during the intense heat in June and July. This created large reserves of natural fuel, making fires much more difficult to contain.
In recent weeks, large-scale wildfires have swept areas near Bordeaux in France and Madrid in Spain, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. New ignition points have also been recorded in England and Greece.
Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Imma Oliveras Menor, noted that the study did not account for the impact of land management methods on the spread of fire. At the same time, according to her, the results confirm that climate change is one of the key factors contributing to the occurrence of extreme wildfires.
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