Author\u2019s photo from a plane landing in Athens last summer. In January 2024, Nasa reported that climate change is intensifying wildfire conditions, noting that the frequency of the most extreme wildfires had more than doubled<\/a> over the past two decades. While some of this is driven by natural weather variability, human-induced warming<\/a> is clearly playing a major role. Decades of rising temperatures combined with longer and more severe droughts have created ideal conditions<\/a> for wildfires to ignite and spread. <\/p>\n This year, another brutal Mediterranean wildfire season is unfolding right before our eyes, with numerous active wildfire fronts<\/a> across the region. As of July 22 2025, 237,153 hectares have burned in the EU<\/a> \u2013 an increase of nearly 78% from the same period last year. The number of fires rose by about 45%, and CO\u2082 emissions increased by 23%<\/a> compared to 2024. These are terrifying statistics.<\/p>\n Climate phenomena are closely interconnected<\/p>\n The fires themselves are bad enough. But they\u2019re also closely connected to other climate-related extremes, including floods.<\/p>\n Natural hazards often trigger chain reactions, turning one disaster into many. In the case of floods, wildfires play a big role both through weather patterns and how the land responds to rain.<\/p>\n In 2023, soon after a series of huge wildfires, Greece faced the torrential rains of Storm Daniel. On the weather side, higher temperatures lead to more extreme rainfall, as warmer air can hold more moisture and fuels stronger storms. Intense wildfires can sometimes get so hot they generate their own weather systems, like pyrocumulus clouds \u2013 towering storm clouds formed by heat, smoke and water vapour. These clouds can spark sudden, localised storms<\/a> during or shortly after the fire.<\/p>\n The damage doesn\u2019t end when the flames die down. Satellite data shows that burned land can remain up to 10\u00b0C hotter<\/a> for nearly a year, due to lost vegetation and damaged soil. <\/p>\n As the world warms, the atmosphere is able to hold about 7% more moisture<\/a> for every extra degree. Recent temperatures of 40\u00b0C or more in Greece suggest a capacity for more downpours and more flooding.<\/p>\n Greece is getting hotter and hotter (Each stripe represents one year, with blue indicating cooler and red indicating warmer than the 1961-2010 average). Wildfires also make the land itself more vulnerable to flooding<\/a>. Burnt areas respond much faster to rain, as there is less vegetation to slow down the water. Wildfires also change the soil structure, often making it water-repellent. This means more water runs off the surface, erosion increases, and it takes less rain to trigger a flood.<\/p>\n Under these conditions, a storm expected once every ten years can cause the sort of catastrophic flooding expected only every 100 to 200 years<\/a>. Water moves much faster across scorched landscapes without plants to slow it down. Wildfires also leave behind a lot of debris, which can be swept up<\/a> by fast-moving floodwaters.<\/p>\n While EU-wide data on post-wildfire flood risk is still limited, various case studies from southern Europe offer strong evidence of the connection. In Spain\u2019s Ebro River Basin, for example, research<\/a> found that if emissions remain high and climate policy is limited, wildfires will increase the probability of high flood risk by 10%.<\/p>\n Firefighting in the hills of central Spain, July 30 2025. Nature\u2019s ability to regenerate is nothing short of magical, but recovering from a wildfire takes time. Burnt soil takes years to return to normal and, during that time, the risks of extreme rainfall are higher<\/a>. Beyond the impact of wildfires on soil and water, it is important not to overlook the devastating loss of plant and animal species or even entire ecosystems, making the natural world less biodiverse and resilient.<\/p>\n To reduce the frequency and severity of extreme events, we must focus on repairing climate damage. This means moving beyond isolated perspectives and adopting a multi-hazard approach that recognises how disasters are connected.<\/p>\n Flooding after wildfires is just one example of how one crisis can trigger another. We need to recognise these cascading risks and focus on long-term resilience over short-term fixes.<\/p>\n ![\"Wildfire](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/file-20250730-66-92umi5.jpg\")
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\n Ioanna Stamataki<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/file-20250730-56-kv3izg.jpg\")
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\n EPA\/HATZIPOLITIS NICOLAOS<\/p>\n![\"Climate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/file-20250730-92-e10gwo.png\")
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\n Ed Hawkins \/ Show Your Stripes (Data: Berkeley Earth & ERA5-Land)<\/a>, CC BY-SA<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Firefighting](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/file-20250730-66-qflywg.jpg\")
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\n EPA\/RAUL SANCHIDRIAN<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/file-20250411-62-hhstbi.png\")
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