Australia Loses 400,000 Hectares to Wildfires
Finland Cancels Flights Amid Cold Snap
"Extreme Weather Events Cause Social and Economic Disruption"
While Australia is experiencing massive wildfires spreading amid heatwaves exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, Northern Europe is facing record-breaking cold snaps leading to flight cancellations. Extreme weather events are occurring worldwide. Experts warn that these phenomena are the result of decades of accumulated greenhouse gas emissions, and that climate instability is likely to intensify in the future.
Extreme Weather Events Sweep the Globe
On the 9th (local time), a citizen was passing in front of a digital billboard displaying minus 33 degrees Celsius in Yll?s, Finland. Photo by AP Yonhap News
According to The Guardian, as of January 15 (local time), wildfires in Victoria, Australia have destroyed at least 400,000 hectares and more than 700 buildings. This area is over six times the size of Seoul, which covers about 60,000 hectares. Local authorities reported that 12 major wildfires, including the one in Harcourt, remain uncontained. They assessed the situation as the worst in six years since the 'Black Summer' wildfires of 2019-2020.
In particular, concerns are mounting that wildfires could spread out of control as temperatures in northern Victoria have soared up to 46 degrees Celsius, combined with strong winds. While the average January temperature in Victoria is typically around 21 degrees Celsius, a prolonged heatwave could significantly increase wildfire risks. Continuous high temperatures rapidly deplete moisture from soil and vegetation, making the environment drier. Dry fuels are less likely to extinguish, which means fires can burn longer and spread more widely.
In fact, researchers at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) have also presented findings that for every 1-degree Celsius increase in global average temperature, the annual area burned by wildfires worldwide could increase by 14 percent. Rising temperatures heighten wildfire risks, and the carbon dioxide emitted by these fires further accelerates climate change, creating a vicious cycle.
In contrast, Northern Europe is experiencing the opposite extreme. In the Lapland region of northern Finland, a cold snap of minus 37 degrees Celsius on January 11 led to the cancellation of all flights, leaving thousands of tourists stranded. Aircraft de-icing operations became impossible, and even ground maintenance and refueling equipment froze. The average winter temperature in Lapland is around minus 14 degrees Celsius, making this cold spell highly unusual.
According to AP, "Finland is a country accustomed to harsh winters, but this year's cold wave hitting Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe is much stronger than usual," adding that "it has caused widespread transportation disruptions."
"Extreme Weather Events, the Result of Decades of Greenhouse Gas Emissions"
Extreme weather events are closely linked to decades of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The scientific journal Nature Geoscience stated, "Last year, the world clearly witnessed the consequences of failing to address climate change," noting that "in January, storms struck Mozambique and Madagascar; in July and August, Europe, the Mediterranean, and East Asia suffered from heatwaves; and at the end of the year, hurricanes and cyclones devastated the Caribbean and Southeast Asia." The journal continued, "Extreme weather events cause enormous damage and social and economic disruption," emphasizing that "these disasters are by no means accidental, but rather predictable outcomes of decades of rising greenhouse gas emissions and insufficient mitigation efforts."
The problem is that greenhouse gas emissions are still not decreasing. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 'Emissions Gap Report 2025,' global greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high of 57.7 billion tons in 2024. This marks a 2.3 percent increase from the previous year, surpassing the average annual growth rate of 2.2 percent during the 2000s, when climate crisis responses were weak. UNEP projects that if this trend continues, the global average temperature could rise by about 2.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100.
Last Year's Annual Average Temperature, the Second Highest on Record at 13.7 Degrees Celsius
Korea has also been directly hit by abnormal weather events. According to the '2025 Annual Climate Characteristics' report released by the Korea Meteorological Administration on January 6, last year's annual average temperature was 13.7 degrees Celsius, the second highest since the nationwide observation network was significantly expanded in 1973.
In particular, the number of heatwave days nationwide last year was 29.7, about 2.7 times the average (11 days), and the number of tropical nights was 16.4, 2.5 times the average (6.6 days). Seoul recorded 46 tropical nights, the highest ever, and in 21 locations including Daejeon, Gwangju, and Busan, tropical nights began earlier than ever before. In Seogwipo, Jeju, tropical nights continued until October 13, marking the latest end to the phenomenon. The Korea Meteorological Administration cited the early and prolonged expansion of the hot and humid North Pacific High as the reason for the extended period of heat from early summer through autumn.
Meanwhile, the abnormal temperature phenomena spreading globally are likely to intensify further in the future. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), stated in November last year, "With unprecedented persistent high temperatures and record greenhouse gas increases, it has become virtually impossible to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius in the coming years." However, she emphasized, "It is both possible and absolutely necessary to bring temperatures back down to the 1.5-degree level by the end of the century."
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