A strong El Nino and human-induced climate change fueled the hot and dry weather over Indonesia this year that sparked the country’s worst wildfire season in a decade, according to new research.El Nino was the driver of the severe lack of rainfall, while climate change was the cause of high temperatures, a report by World Weather Attribution shows. Human-induced warming made hot and dry conditions about three times more likely, as well as more intense, researchers said.Indonesia’s worst fire season in years cloaked local towns and neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia in toxic smog, prompting schools to close, straining diplomatic ties and crimping palm oil output. Poor rainfall from June through the end of October left the landscape bone-dry, making blazes often linked to slash-and-burn agricultural practices harder to contain.
El Nino, climate change supercharged Indonesia fires, study says
Indonesia's worst fire season in years cloaked local towns and neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia in toxic smog.
In brief
A strong El Nino and human-induced climate change fueled the hot and dry weather over Indonesia this year that sparked the country’s worst wildfire season in a decade, according to new research.El Nino was the driver of the severe lack of rainfall, while climate change was the cause of high temperatures, a report by World Weather Attribution shows. Human-induced warming made hot and dry conditions about three times more likely, as well as more intense, researchers said.Indonesia’s worst fire season in years cloaked local towns and neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia in toxic smog, prompting schools to close, straining diplomatic ties and crimping palm oil output. Poor rai…
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