'Boiling Hot' European Heatwave and Wildfire Scenes Seen from Space [Reading Science]

In July 2022, a wildfire devastated the Sierra de Francia Natural Park in Las Batuecas, Spain.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Due to the effects of global warming, Europe is experiencing a continuous spell of scorching hot and dry weather. This has led to large-scale wildfires breaking out in various locations, causing significant damage. These climate conditions and wildfires are even evident in images captured by satellites.

On the 18th (local time), according to space news outlet Space.com, recent photos taken by the European Meteorological Satellite (EUMETSAT), operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), clearly depict this reality.

An image of Europe taken by the European Meteorological Satellite on the 18th. Unusually, clear weather without a single cloud was formed across the entire continent.

First, the satellite captured an "unusually" clear weather scene across almost the entire European continent on the 18th. Around this time of year, Europe typically experiences cloudy skies and rain rather than bright sunshine, so the fact that the entire region was cloudless and clear is a very unusual phenomenon. This clear and blue sky across Europe indicates that the entire continent is suffering from a heatwave that has caused record-high temperatures and destructive wildfires that have devastated hundreds of square miles of forest. In fact, last month's average temperature in Europe was the second highest in history, and experts attribute this phenomenon to Europe being affected by global warming faster than any other region.

A region in the UK captured by the European weather satellite Sentinel-2. An area that was green a month ago has turned brown due to severe drought.

The outlet also released a video comparing images taken by the Earth observation satellite Sentinel-2 in mid-June and the second week of July of a region in the United Kingdom, stating, "Due to a lack of rain for a month, areas that should normally be green have turned brown from drought," and explained, "The UK is currently suffering from temperatures beyond the usual range, with some areas expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius for the first time in history."

A wildfire that recently occurred in the Bordeaux region, a major wine-producing area in France, was vividly captured in satellite images.

Images of massive wildfires in Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, and Portugal were also captured by satellite cameras. A wildfire in the natural forest of Salamanca in western Spain has been ongoing since the 12th of last month, already devastating over 39 square kilometers of forest. Another wildfire near Malaga in southern Spain has burned more than 20 square kilometers of forest. Additionally, a large wildfire occurred in the Bordeaux region, a major wine-producing area in southwestern France, with the destruction vividly captured by satellite cameras. Two wildfires broke out there on the 12th, burning over 100 square kilometers of land.