Wildfires in the EU have nearly quadrupled the 15-year average

The total number of wildfires in the European Union since the beginning of 2022 is almost four times the 15-year average for the same time period, according to Copernicus, the bloc’s Earth observation program.

In a tweet posted on Tuesday, Copernicus said that 1,926 wildfires had scorched EU nations from the beginning of the year up to July 23. In comparison, the average number for the same period of year, calculated with data from 2006 to 2021, was 520.

Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, France and Germany have all lost thousands of hectares of land to wildfires, amid Europe’s record-breaking heatwave.

German officials have said that while its blazes are now mostly under control, the situation for two regions affected by large forest fires remains “tense.” On Wednesday, local forest fire protection officer Philipp Haase told CNN that 480 firefighters were still fighting flames in Brandenburg to the northeast and Saxony in the east.

Scientists who link the contribution of the climate crisis to extreme weather events say that all heat waves – which can trigger or exacerbate wildfires – now have the fingerprints of human-caused climate change on them. The world is expected to experience more frequent and longer lasting heat waves the more global average temperatures rise.

Firefighters try to control a wildfire in Louchats, France, on July 17.

A firefighter battles a blaze in the suburb of Pallini, east of Athens, Greece, on July 20.

Residents of the neighborhood of Las Llanadas, on the Spanish island of Tenerife, rush to evacuate their animals from the area on July 23.

Firefighters spray flame retardant in Hostens, France, on July 22.

Police officers and locals attempt to extinguish a wildfire burning in the village of Vatera, Greece, on July 23.

Burned areas are seen on Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts in Saint-Rivoal, France, on July 22.

Residents of the Greek village of Vrisa wait to evacuate the area on July 24.

Firefighting vehicles are ablaze during a wildfire outside Brasparts, France, on July 19.

This aerial photo shows burnt olive trees and fields in Megara, Greece, on July 20.

A local resident fights a fire with a shovel in Tabara, Spain, on July 19.

A wildfire burns atop a mountain in the northern suburbs of Athens on July 19.

Helicopters drop water above a fire in Avila, Spain, on July 18.

Firefighters take a break in Catalonia, Spain, on July 17.

A fire engine is driven through El Pont de Vilomara, Spain, on July 18.

A wildfire burns forest near the Portuguese village of Memoria on July 12.

Burnt-out cars are seen in central Portugal on July 14.

This aerial photo shows destruction in a residential area following a large blaze in London on July 20.

Firefighters work in Avila on July 18.

A firefighter and a member of Spain's Civil Guard watch a fire in Zamora, Spain, on July 18.

An airplane takes part in firefighting operations in Portugal on July 14.

Burnt cars and trees are seen at a campsite in southwest France on July 19.

Firefighters attempt to control a fire in the French communes of Landiras and Guillos on July 13.

Firefighters work in Rebolo, Portugal, on July 14.

A local resident tries to stop flames from reaching houses in Figueiras, Portugal, on July 12.

A cloud of smoke rises from the Dune of Pilat, in the Arcachon basin of southwest France, on July 13.

A firefighter looks on during firefighting operations in Espite, Portugal, on July 13.

A wildfire burns through vegetation in Landiras, France, on July 13.

People rest after being evacuated from a campsite in western France on July 13.

People look at plumes of smoke caused by a wildfire in Malaga, Spain, on July 15.

People take pictures of firefighting aircraft flying over La Teste-de-Buch, France, on July 14.

Firefighters set a backfire to a plot of land to prevent a wildfire from spreading further in Louchats, France, on July 17.

Residents watch as a column of smoke emerges from a fire in A Pobra do Brollón, Spain, on July 17.

Residents of Alhaurín el Grande, Spain, were evacuated because of a fire in the Sierra de Mijas mountain range on July 15.

A firefighter tackles the flames surrounding Portugal's Ancede village on July 15.

In pictures: Wildfires in Europe

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Outside the EU, England has seen its driest July so far since 1911, having only seen 24% of the average expected rainfall, according to the UK’s national weather service, the Met Office.

“At this stage in the month we would expect to have seen well over three-quarters of the month’s rain to have already fallen in an average July,” the Met Office said.

The UK was not included in Copernicus’ data.

Temperatures in the UK breached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) last week for the first time, with July 19 becoming the country’s hottest day on record. Subsequent wildfires even broke out in the capital, London, due to the heat.

Mark McCarthy, Head of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said on the Met’s website that it was not only July that had been dry. “Since the start of the year, all months apart from February have been drier than average in the UK too,” he said. “The result of this is that the winter, spring and summer of 2022 have all seen less than the UK average seasonal rainfall.”