PARIS, France: The world could face a year of “particularly severe” wildfires, fuelled by climate change and a potentially strong El Nino weather phenomenon, after a record-breaking start to 2026, researchers warned on Tuesday.
“This year the global fire season has got off to a very fast start,” said Theodore Keeping, a researcher at Imperial College London.
The area scorched by wildfires so far is 50 percent higher than average for this time of year, Keeping said in a press briefing. El Nino is the warm phase of a natural climate cycle in Pacific Ocean temperatures and trade winds, which influences global weather patterns and increases the likelihood of droughts, heavy rainfall and other climate extremes.
