Climate Change Made Iberian Wildfires 40 Times More Likely, Scientists Say

Climate Change Made Iberian Wildfires 40 Times More Likely, Scientists Say
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The extreme weather behind last month’s devastating wildfires across Spain and Portugal was made 40 times more likely due to climate change, The Guardian reported. According to early analysis by the World Weather Attribution network, the fires—described as “astonishing” in size—burned over 500,000 hectares of land and were 30% more intense than would be expected in a world unaffected by global warming.

Researchers found that such fire-fuelling conditions, previously expected once every 500 years, could now occur every 15 years due to climate-related warming. The 10-day maximum heatwave that hit the region would have occurred once every 2,500 years before industrialisation, but now could be expected every 13 years.

The preliminary study, based on weather data rather than climate models, aligns with broader findings from recent analyses of extreme events in southern Europe, including Greece and Turkey. Experts also cited rural depopulation and land abandonment as contributing factors, with unmanaged vegetation acting as fuel for fires.

David Garcia, a researcher at the University of Alicante, noted the limited focus in public discourse on the climate element of these disasters. In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled a 10-point climate plan, urging political unity to confront the escalating climate emergency.