Climate change made Australia’s devastating fire season 30% more likely

Climate change made Australia’s devastating fire season 30% more likely

A bush-fire near the town of Bumbalong, Australia, in February. (Peter Parks/AFP/Getty)

Climate change made Australian fires at least 30% more likely

Human-induced climate change increased by at least 30% the risk of the weather conditions that drove extreme fires in Australia last year. An international group of climate scientists made the estimate using models that calculate the chance of fire on the basis of variables such as heat, humidity, wind and rainfall. The World Weather Attribution group emphasized that its assessment was conservative, and the real increase could be much higher.

Nature | 4 min read
Read more about World Weather Attribution in Nature’s in-depth feature (9 min read)Reference: World Weather Attribution report