NEW DELHI: Europe's devastating wildfire season has become a stark reminder of how climate change is reshaping extreme weather. A new scientific analysis by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group has found that human-induced climate change has dramatically increased the likelihood of the hot, dry and windy conditions that fueled destructive wildfires across Spain and France this summer.

According to the study, climate change made the weather conditions driving the Spanish wildfires at least 20 times more likely, while similar fire-prone conditions in France became twice as likely. Researchers say rising global temperatures are intensifying heatwaves, drying out vegetation and creating the ideal environment for fast-spreading fires.

The wildfires have claimed lives, forced more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes and blanketed large parts of Western Europe in hazardous smoke, severely affecting air quality. Firefighters across several countries have battled rapidly spreading blazes amid record-breaking temperatures and strong winds, with emergency services stretched to their limits.

Scientists caution that the findings highlight a growing trend rather than an isolated event. As the climate continues to warm, Europe is expected to experience more frequent and intense heatwaves, prolonged droughts and increasingly severe wildfire seasons. They warn that without significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and stronger climate adaptation measures, extreme fire weather could become the new normal across many parts of the continent.

The report underscores the urgent need for governments to strengthen wildfire preparedness through better forest management, improved early warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure. Experts also stress that global cooperation to curb carbon emissions remains essential to reducing the long-term risk of catastrophic wildfires.

As Europe grapples with one of its most destructive fire seasons in recent years, the latest findings reinforce the growing scientific consensus that climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is already amplifying extreme weather events with profound human, environmental and economic consequences.