Wildfires Engulf Turkey | Climate Impact Digest
Wildfires have engulfed the nation of Turkey this month, relays Sky News. Multiple provinces have been declared disaster zones as 25,000 emergency workers continue to battle persistent blazes. Thirteen people have died so far.
163 million Americans were placed on alert for extreme heat over the weekend, reports CBS News. Temperatures were 10-15 degrees above average and are expected to remain at dangerous levels all week.
Smoke from wildfires is an underrated climate change health impact, notes The Harvard Gazette. According to recent studies, wildfire smoke contains particularly high amounts of health-damaging heavy metals and tiny PM2.5 particles, which penetrate deep into our lungs.
Burn scars from wildfires can exacerbate flooding, explains Inside Climate News. Intense fires create a waxy water-repellent coating to soil which prevents water from being absorbed, making the area more vulnerable to flash floods. Both fires and floods are expected to increase due to climate change, and this interaction between the two compounds the risks.
The death toll from this month’s floods in Texas Hill Country has reached 137, says Reuters. Two people remain unaccounted for.
