What’s behind Europe’s hellish summer? | In Focus podcast

Dr Kirsten Thonicke speaks to us on heatwaves and wildfires in Europe, and how these fires are comparable to those in the rest of the world.

Europe is reeling under a severe heat wave, with temperatures soaring past the 40-degree mark in many parts of the continent. One major side-effect has been a sharp spike in incidents of wildfires. Countries such as France, Spain, Portugal and Greece have reported hundreds of fires. Thousands of hectares of lush forest lands have been destroyed, and a great many have had to be evacuated. With rainfall receding, some regions in countries such as Italy and Germany are also witnessing drought conditions.

Are all these problems due to climate change? What is the relationship between heat waves and forest fires? Could the wildfires have been prevented? How is Europe’s drought situation related to global warming?

Guest: Dr Kirsten Thonicke, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany

Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian