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Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Shocking report reveals the cities most vulnerable to climate disasters
A shocking report has revealed the 'sitting duck' cities which are most vulnerable to climate disasters. The report, produced by the Financial Times, warns that Amsterdam, Houston, and New York City are among those at risk of being flooded while Austin is at high risk of fires Meanwhile, several densely populated cities, including Lisbon, Naples, Athens, and Christchurch are at risk of both heat waves and flooding. Worryingly, experts say they don't know when these disasters could hit. Guillermo Rein, a fire sciences professor at Imperial College London, speaking to the Financial Times said: 'But at the global level, they are becoming more probable. 'In the next year there's going to be a big wildfire destroying a big community. 'But we have absolutely no idea where that is going to happen.' Described by climate scientists as 'sitting ducks', scientists say that some cities have been 'lucky' to not experience an extreme climate event so far. In these most at risk areas the natural geography, climate conditions, and city planning have combined to create an exceptional risk. Yet many of these cities have already come close to complete destruction. In August last year, Athens, which is home to 3.6 million people, narrowly escaped catastrophe as a wildfire reached the outskirts of the city. The fire scorched 40 square miles of land northeast of the city, killing one woman and forcing thousands to flee their homes. However, the flames stopped just short of entering the city centre where even more serious damage could have taken place. Dr Thomas Smith, an expert on environmental geography from the London School Of Economics And Political Science, told the Financial Times: 'What was missing was the wind element.' Had there been strong winds, like the Santa Ana winds which drove the Los Angeles wildfires, the situation might have been far more severe. For sitting duck cities like Athens, a major risk factor stemsfrom their proximity to the wilderness. As cities spread, they push further into the surrounding grasslands, forests, and fields where wildfires are more prone to start. Scientists call this area the wildland-urban interface and estimate that it makes up about 4.7 per cent of the planet's surface. In Europe, the wildland-urban interface covers 15 per cent of the continent and is home to more than 60 per cent of the population. While climate change does not directly cause wildfires, it makes the conditions for intense blazes significantly more likely. The risks of fire are increased by warming temperatures which create dry vegetation, and combined with strong winds the outcomes can be deadly. The World Weather Attribution - a network of researchers from the U.S., UK and a number of other European countries - warned that the hot, dry, and windy conditions that drove the Los Angeles wildfires are about 35 per cent more likely due to global warming. In the UK, unusually warm spring weather means the country has already passed the record for land destroyed by wildfires. Since the start of 2025, more than 113 square miles of land has been consumed by fires across the country. However, it is not only wildfires which pose a threat to sitting duck cities around the world. According to an analysis by Moody's, a financial research firm, roughly 2.4billion people now live in areas that are at risk of inland river or flash flooding. In the U.S., Dallas, Houston, Washington DC, New York, and Sacramento are all at extreme risk of flooding due to climate change. Dallas is especially threatened by flooding due to the city's rapid growth. As it has grown city planners have added concrete or asphalt areas which cannot absorb water meaning that when heavy rain comes, it runs off these impermeable surfaces and rapidly collects, triggering flash flooding. In 2022, a sudden deluge of 38cm of rain in 24 hours triggered a flood which submerged homes and swept away cars. Other cities considered sitting ducks for flooding include Amsterdam, Ahmedabad, and Buenos Aires. Just like the risk posed by wildfires, the changing climate has made flooding not only more frequent but also more severe. Following devastating flooding in Valencia, Spain last year scientists said that the catastrophic event was fuelled by climate change. Dr Friederike Otto, head of the World Weather Attribution at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said: 'No doubt about it, these explosive downpours were intensified by climate change.' An increasingly warm climate has even made some cities vulnerable to wildfires and flooding. Wildfires destroy vegetation such as trees which makes the soil less able to absorb water. This means areas which have suffered wildfires are more likely to be affected by flash flooding if heavy rain follows. According to research, the elevated risk of flooding can persist for up to a decade after a fire. Cities considered sitting ducks for both fire and flooding are Lisbon, Athens, Naples, Cape Town, Sydney, and Christchurch. Recent studies have found that a number of major cities, including Dallas, are now undergoing a process which is being called 'climate whiplash'. This means they are facing both increasingly severe periods of dry weather and more extreme wet periods. These cycles of drought and flooding make cities more vulnerable to climate disasters and give authorities less time to prepare for extreme conditions.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Area burned by UK wildfires in 2025 already at annual record
The area of the UK burnt by wildfires so far this year is already higher than the total for any year in more than a decade, satellite data suggests. More than 29,200 hectares (292 sq km or 113 sq miles) has been burnt so far, according to figures from the Global Wildfire Information System, which has recorded burnt area since 2012. That is more than the previous high of 28,100 hectares for the whole year of 2019. The prolonged dry, sunny weather in March and early April helped to create ideal conditions for widespread burning, according to researchers. Wildfires are very common in the UK in early spring, with plenty of dead or dormant vegetation at the end of winter that can dry out quickly. The switch back to wetter conditions over the past couple of weeks has largely brought an end to the spell of fires for now, but not before reaching record levels. The figures from the Global Wildfire Information System only capture fires larger than roughly 30 hectares (0.3 sq km). More than 80 such fires have been detected across the UK since the beginning of the year. Most fires are deliberately or accidentally started by humans, but favourable weather conditions can make it much easier for fires to ignite and spread quickly. "We had an exceptionally dry and sunny March," said Will Lang, head of risk and resilience services at the Met Office. "This followed quite a wet autumn and winter, which can have the effect of increasing the vegetation that acts as fuel for any fire that does start." A lack of rainfall in March and April can be particularly conducive to fires. "The vegetation is coming out of the winter and it has gone dormant, so it's not growing, and therefore it's very dry and doesn't have water," explained Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London. "Then in the spring, before you start to collect the water into the live tissue, there is a period where it's very flammable." The seven days from 2 to 8 April saw more than 18,000 hectares (180 sq km) burnt, the highest weekly figure on record. The BBC has also analysed satellite images to illustrate two of the biggest burns this year. In Galloway Forest Park, in south-west Scotland, an estimated 65 sq km burnt, nearly a quarter of the UK total. A fire in the Cwm Rheidol area of Wales, about 25 km (16 miles) from Aberystwyth, also burnt a large area of roughly 50 sq km. Fires have also been detected by satellite imagery on the Isle of Arran, the Isle of Bute and the Isle of Skye in Scotland, as well as in the Mourne Mountains in south-east Northern Ireland. All occurred in early April. These early season burns - predominantly grass, heath and shrub fires - have created great strain on fire services, but their ecological impacts can be complicated. Not all fires, particularly smaller, lower-intensity burns, are necessarily catastrophic to long-term vegetation health. Certain plants, such as heather, are adapted to fire-prone environments. But increasingly frequent or severe blazes can impair their ability to naturally recover. Some researchers are concerned about the second peak of the fire season, which typically comes later in the year when temperatures are high and vegetation has dried out again. "My number one worry is what is going to happen in the summer," said Prof Rein, when "there are fewer wildfires but they are bigger and they can actually be seriously catastrophic". "You can have 100 [small] wildfires across the whole country and all of them can be handled in one day, or you could have one summer wildfire that actually cannot be stopped in a week and actually goes on to burn houses." The recent widespread burns don't necessarily mean this summer will be a busy fire season. But scientists expect the UK to see an increase in weather conditions conducive to extreme wildfires in a warming world, even though there's lots of variation from year to year. A study led by the Met Office found that the extreme "fire weather" that helped spread the destructive blazes of July 2022 were made at least six times more likely by human-caused climate change. Shifts in the way land is used can also play a key role in shaping fire risk. "One thing that seems to have consensus is that we are likely to see more fires and possibly worse fires with climate change," said Rory Hadden, senior lecturer in fire investigation at the University of Edinburgh. "We need to be prepared for this to become more common." Additional reporting by Phil Leake UK's rarest wildlife being 'pushed to extinction' by grass fires A simple guide to climate change Four ways climate change worsens extreme weather Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Wildfires: UK burnt area for 2025 already beats annual record
The area of the UK burnt by wildfires so far this year is already higher than the total for any year in more than a decade, satellite data than 29,200 hectares (292 sq km or 113 sq miles) has been burnt so far, according to figures from the Global Wildfire Information System, which has recorded burnt area since is more than the previous high of 28,100 hectares for the whole year of prolonged dry, sunny weather in March and early April helped to create ideal conditions for widespread burning, according to researchers. Wildfires are very common in the UK in early spring, with plenty of dead or dormant vegetation at the end of winter that can dry out switch back to wetter conditions over the past couple of weeks has largely brought an end to the spell of fires for now, but not before reaching record levels. The figures from the Global Wildfire Information System only capture fires larger than roughly 30 hectares (0.3 sq km).More than 80 such fires have been detected across the UK since the beginning of the fires are deliberately or accidentally started by humans, but favourable weather conditions can make it much easier for fires to ignite and spread quickly."We had an exceptionally dry and sunny March," said Will Lang, head of risk and resilience services at the Met Office."This followed quite a wet autumn and winter, which can have the effect of increasing the vegetation that acts as fuel for any fire that does start."A lack of rainfall in March and April can be particularly conducive to fires."The vegetation is coming out of the winter and it has gone dormant, so it's not growing, and therefore it's very dry and doesn't have water," explained Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London."Then in the spring, before you start to collect the water into the live tissue, there is a period where it's very flammable." The seven days from 2 to 8 April saw more than 18,000 hectares (180 sq km) burnt, the highest weekly figure on BBC has also analysed satellite images to illustrate two of the biggest burns this Galloway Forest Park, in south-west Scotland, an estimated 65 sq km burnt, nearly a quarter of the UK total. A fire in the Cwm Rheidol area of Wales, about 25 km (16 miles) from Aberystwyth, also burnt a large area of roughly 50 sq have also been detected by satellite imagery on the Isle of Arran, the Isle of Bute and the Isle of Skye in Scotland, as well as in the Mourne Mountains in south-east Northern Ireland. All occurred in early April. These early season burns - predominantly grass, heath and shrub fires - have created great strain on fire services, but their ecological impacts can be all fires, particularly smaller, lower-intensity burns, are necessarily catastrophic to long-term vegetation plants, such as heather, are adapted to fire-prone environments. But increasingly frequent or severe blazes can impair their ability to naturally researchers are concerned about the second peak of the fire season, which typically comes later in the year when temperatures are high and vegetation has dried out again."My number one worry is what is going to happen in the summer," said Prof Rein, when "there are fewer wildfires but they are bigger and they can actually be seriously catastrophic"."You can have 100 [small] wildfires across the whole country and all of them can be handled in one day, or you could have one summer wildfire that actually cannot be stopped in a week and actually goes on to burn houses."The recent widespread burns don't necessarily mean this summer will be a busy fire scientists expect the UK to see an increase in weather conditions conducive to extreme wildfires in a warming world, even though there's lots of variation from year to year.A study led by the Met Office found that the extreme "fire weather" that helped spread the destructive blazes of July 2022 were made at least six times more likely by human-caused climate in the way land is used can also play a key role in shaping fire risk."One thing that seems to have consensus is that we are likely to see more fires and possibly worse fires with climate change," said Rory Hadden, senior lecturer in fire investigation at the University of Edinburgh."We need to be prepared for this to become more common." Additional reporting by Phil Leake Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
