28 Jun 2020 Jahr - Record Arctic heatwave sees Siberia wildfires increase fivefold

Beschreibung:

‘The signs of climate change are already here. It’s not some distant future,’ say scientists.

A prolonged heatwave in Russia’s Siberia has turned the region's forests into tinderboxes, with the number of wildfires multiplying nearly fivefold over the past week.

Figures from Avialesookhrana, Russia’s agency for aerial forest fire management, revealed that 1.15 million hectares (2.85 million acres) were burning in areas firefighters could not reach.

The worst-hit area is the Sakha Republic, where the town of Verkhoyansk is located. A record temperature of 38C was reported there on 20 June and, if confirmed, would be the hottest day ever recorded in the Arctic.

The World Meteorological Organisation said Tuesday it is working to verify the unprecedented temperature reading. (The Independant)