Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Ioanna Stamataki, Senior Lecturer in Hydraulics and Water Engineering, University of Greenwich

Flames to floods: how Europe’s devastating wildfires are fuelling its next climate crisis

In recent years, I have all too often found myself passing over an active wildfire when flying from London to my family home in Greece during the summer months. The sky glows an eerie, apocalyptic red, and the scent of smoke fills the cabin. Silence falls as we become unwilling witnesses to a tragic spectacle.

Now wildfires are again raging across the Mediterranean. But the flames themselves are only part of the story. As wildfires become more intense and frequent, they’re setting off a dangerous chain reaction – one that also includes a rising risk of devastating floods.

Wildfire viewed from a plane
Author’s photo from a plane landing in Athens last summer. Ioanna Stamataki
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.