When catastrophic wildfires capture global headlines, such as the unprecedented blazes sweeping through southern Europe this summer or the devastating 2019–20 “Black Summer” in Australia, they are almost always preceded by severe drought. Dry vegetation and parched landscapes are necessary ingredients for infernos.
But not all droughts are created equal – the way a drought evolves can drastically alter how a fire behaves once it ignites. As global temperatures rise, a new and dangerous phenomenon is becoming increasingly common: the “flash drought”.
