EU warns of dire climate season ahead with droughts, fires

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s executive is warning that the continent is facing one of its toughest years when it comes to natural disasters like droughts and wildfires because of increasing climate change. EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic says that “the present drought in Europe could become the worst ever.” Extremely dry weather is hitting several Mediterranean nations and fires ravage huge swaths of countryside. Sefcovic says that “statistics show that since 2017, we have the most intense, intense forest fires ever seen in Europe. And that we unfortunately expect the 2022 forest fire season could follow this trend.”