00:00An area almost the size of Luxembourg has been burned by wildfires in Europe so far this year.
00:08That is 119% above the long-term average for this time of the year.
00:14In recent weeks, wildfires have blazed across the continent, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.
00:21The increased number of fires, particularly in February and March, is largely due to dry and warm weather conditions in Western and Central Europe.
00:31Experts have warned for a trend of summers getting warmer and hotter for longer due to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.
00:40They are not surprised by this year's extreme weather, as 2023 and 2024 were both record-breaking years for heat in Europe.
00:49Countries that were particularly impacted by forest fires this year were Turkey, the United Kingdom, Greece and Romania.
00:58And countries such as Portugal, Greece and Spain experienced a huge loss of forests as a result of the fires.
01:04Experts are now urging for better forest management, as some wildfires are difficult to extinguish amid dry conditions and strong winds.
