A record one million hectares - equivalent to about half the land area of Wales - have burned across the European Union so far this year, making it the worst wildfire season since records began in 2006. Spain and Portugal have been hit especially hard, with roughly 1% of the entire Iberian Peninsula scorched, according to EU scientists. The worsening fire season in the Mediterranean has been linked directly to climate change in a separate study by the World Weather Attribution group at Imperial College London. Experts warn that more frequent and severe fires across Europe are likely to continue in the future. More than two thirds of the area burned in the EU is in Spain and Portugal alone. In Spain, more than 400,000 hectares have burned since the beginning of this year up until 26 August, according to the Copernicus European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). This record is more than six times the Spanish average for this time period between 2006 and 2024. Neighbouring Portugal has also suffered a record burn area of 270,000 hectares so far - almost five times the average for the same period. The combined burn area across the Iberian peninsula this year is 684,000 hectares - four times the area of Greater London, and most of it burned in just two weeks.
Record Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe Amid Climate Crisis
Record Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe Amid Climate Crisis
This year marks the worst wildfire season on record in the European Union, with over a million hectares burned, primarily in Spain and Portugal.
Wildfires in Southern Europe have resulted in unprecedented devastation, with climate change being identified as a key factor. Experts indicate that over a million hectares have been scorched in the EU, with significant destruction in Spain and Portugal, leading to concerns about future fire seasons and environmental impacts.
