Europe Wildfires Double Average As Extreme Risk Expected Into September

BRUSSELS, Aug 14 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Europe's wildfire season has to date scorched 439,568 hectares this year, more than double the 19-year average for this stage of the season, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) said on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

The tally covers fires larger than 30 hectares detected by the EU's Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

Since Jan 1, authorities have recorded 1,628 such fires, up from 1,089 in the same period last year, with related carbon emissions estimated at 14.11 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the JRC said in its latest weekly update.

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Fire weather risks remain elevated. A seven-day fire weather index outlook for Aug 11 to Aug 17 points to "extreme to very extreme" conditions across much of the continent, with particularly severe risk in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, most of France, the Balkans, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Austria and Hungary.

Higher-than-normal fire danger is also expected in Sweden, parts of Norway and eastern Finland, according to the JRC.

Seasonal forecasts indicate a challenging end to the season, with September temperatures expected to be above average across Europe – most notably in France, northern Italy and Hungary, while rainfall is projected to be below average across much of southern and central Europe, including France, the Balkans, Poland, Denmark and southern Sweden.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA