The researchers have analyzed historical weather observations to see how weather conditions that promote fires have changed over time based on a measure that takes into account hot, dry and windy conditions and how difficult it is to extinguish a fire once it has broken out.
Their rapid analysis shows that human-induced climate change has made the risk of fire conditions at least twice as high in southwestern France and at least 20 times as high in central Spain. The researchers emphasize that these are conservative estimates.
They also note that with today's climate, fires of the same intensity can be expected to occur every twenty years in southwestern France and every six years in central Spain.
"Our studies show time and again how Europe's climate is changing faster than governments can adapt. Last year we documented the fires in the Iberian Peninsula, more recently our research showed how climate change is worsening drought across the continent. Now we are seeing yet another disaster driven by the same cause - the burning of fossil fuels," says Friederike Otto, professor of climate change at Imperial College London, in a comment.
