Climate change made heat and dryness that fueled Iberian wildfires 40 times more likely, study finds

MADRID (AP) — The extremely hot, dry and windy conditions, which fueled one of the Iberian Peninsula's most destructive wildfire seasons in recorded history, were 40 times more likely due to climate change, according to a study released Thursday.

The analysis by World Weather Attribution, or WWA, said the weather conditions were about 30% more intense compared to the preindustrial era, when heavy reliance on fossil fuels began.

Summer wildfires

Hundreds of wildfires in the Iberian Peninsula broke out in July and August. They spread rapidly thanks to temperatures that pushed above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and strong winds.

The fires in Spain and Portugal killed eight people, forced more than 35,000 evacuations and scorched more than 640,000 hectares (1.58 million ac