Wildfires Record Unprecedented Levels as a 'Historic' Heatwave Approaches

SadaNews - Scientists warned today, Tuesday, that climate change is causing unprecedented wildfires in Africa, Asia, and other regions this year, with expectations that conditions will worsen as summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, coinciding with the start of weather patterns linked to the "El Niño" phenomenon.

The fires that erupted between January and April have caused unprecedented damage, as data collected by the "World Weather Attribution" organization, a research group studying the role of global warming in extreme weather events, showed that flames consumed over 370.66 million acres of land, a 20% increase from the previous figure.

Researchers stated that temperatures reaching record levels are likely to exceed this year, leading to widespread droughts and fires, at a time when the impact of human-induced climate change is exacerbated by the particularly strong "El Niño" phenomenon.

Theo Kipping, a wildfire expert at Imperial College London and a member of the "World Weather Attribution," noted that "while the global fire season has not yet peaked in many parts of the world, this rapid start, along with the expectations of the 'El Niño' phenomenon, means we are heading towards a very harsh year."

He added that up to 210 million acres of land have burned in Africa so far this year, an increase of 23% over the previous record of 170 million acres.

Heavy rainfall during the previous growing season increased the density of grass cover, leading to an abundance of fuel that fueled savanna fires, which have erupted over the past few months due to drought and rising temperatures.

The "El Niño" climate phenomenon (El Niño-Southern Oscillation ENSO) is a periodic interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean. It affects rainfall systems and atmospheric pressure around the world, reprogramming global weather patterns, causing heavy rains and floods in some areas, and severe droughts in others, along with changes in hurricane intensity and their paths.