An area almost the size of Luxembourg has been burnt by wildfires in Europe so far this year, according to the EU's European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). As of 15 July, the cumulative total of scorched land stands at 231,539 hectares - 119 per cent above the long-term average of 105,586 hectares for this time of the year.
In recent weeks, wildfires have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and claimed at least three lives in Türkiye, necessitated lockdowns in Catalonia, led to mass evacuations from Crete, and caused havoc around Marseille. This list is not exhaustive, and is certain to extend as summer swelters on.
