Extreme weather causes significant wildfires across Europe

In July 2026, Western Europe faced a historic wildfire crisis that devastated large parts of France and Spain.

Experts from the World Weather Attribution group point to a phenomenon called 'weather whiplash' as a primary cause.

This occurs when an unusually wet winter leads to thick vegetation, which then dries out during a subsequent heatwave and drought, creating highly flammable conditions.

The impact was severe, with over 250,000 hectares of land scorched and 300,000 people displaced from their homes.

These fires were so intense that they created their own weather systems, known as pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which produced lightning and started new blazes.