EL Nino could trigger extreme fires worldwide in 2026
Key takeaways
- More than 150 million hectares — over twice the size of Texas — burned globally in the first months of 2026.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5Desm Scientists are sounding the alarm: 2026 could see particularly severe wildfires Image: Nicolas Palacios/REUTERSAdvertisement.
- Wildfires have scorched 50% more than the average for this time of year, and the current area burnt by wildfires globally is more than 20% higher than the previous record set since tracking began in 2012, he said.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
More than 150 million hectares — over twice the size of Texas — burned globally in the first months of 2026. With a high chance of a supercharged El Nino, the second half of the year could be even worse.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Desm Scientists are sounding the alarm: 2026 could see particularly severe wildfires Image: Nicolas Palacios/REUTERSAdvertisement. The world could see a "particularly severe year" of wildfires fueled by climate change and a potentially strong El Nino weather phenomenon after a record-breaking first few months of 2026, researchers warned Tuesday.
"This year the global fire season has got off to a very fast start," said Theodore Keeping, an extreme weather researcher at Imperial College London, who is part of World Weather Attribution (WWA), a network of climate scientists.