Over the past couple of weeks, firefighters have been working round the clock, tackling Belgium’s largest wildfire on record. As emergency teams work to rescue those trapped, the rains and cool weather have brought in some respite in the country.
The fires in Belgium are a part of a broader picture of severe weather all across the Northern Hemisphere. Per data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global land and sea surface temperatures have reached record-breaking levels. The international body stresses that the broader global pattern now sees extremes. “Extreme heat, persistent drought and dangerous wildfires have been the hallmarks of Northern Hemisphere summer for many countries, whilst heavy rainfall and flooding have caused loss of life in other parts of the world. The high-pressure areas are more typically associated with high temperature and dry conditions, and the low-pressure areas are cooler and wetter. The systems have now severely depleted soil moisture and dropped water levels on major European rivers like the Seine, Rhine, and Danube. Data cited by the WMO from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) shows that wildfire emissions in France and Spain are running well above average for this time of year. Prof. Martina Zelenakova, a professor at the Technical University of Kosice in Slovakia, explains that while El Nino exerts a global influence, its impact on European latitudes is indirect: “El Nino can affect the weather in Central Europe, but its impact is indirect and much weaker than, for example, in the tropical Pacific. It mainly involves changes in atmospheric circulation and the position of the radiation jet. Addressing common misconceptions about global climate forecasting, Prof. Zelenakova who hails from Slovakia speaks of her country: “One thing is important for Slovakia: El Nino does not work as a simple rule ‘El Nino = warm and dry Slovakia. Its influence is transmitted through changes in atmospheric circulation over the Atlantic and Europe and is relatively weak compared to the influence of the NAO, blocking high-pressure areas or climate change itself. However, research shows that certain statistical links exist.”
Explaining the atmospheric mechanics behind these prolonged conditions, John Kennedy, head of climate information at the WMO, said, “What we have seen over the last few months is the combined effect of long-term warming with a persistent pattern of alternating high- and low-pressure systems stretching across the Northern Hemisphere. Naturally, with these weather conditions, these stationary “blocking” systems have created a ripple effect on other aspects of life.
