Climate change ‘made deadly wildfires in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus more fierce’

Residents try to extinguish a blaze in Omodos village, Cyprus, during a wildfire on the southern side of the east Mediterranean island nation’s Troodos mountain range in July (Petros Karadjias/AP)

Climate change that has driven scorching temperatures and dwindling rainfall made massive wildfires in Turkey, Greece and Cyprus this summer burn much more fiercely, according to a study.

The study by World Weather Attribution (WWA) said the fires that killed 20 people, forced 80,000 to evacuate and burned more than one million hectares (2.47 million acres) were 22% more intense in 2025, Europe’s worst recorded year of wildfires.