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The apocalyptic infernos ripping through Europe are becoming increasingly likely, experts have warned, as the number of dangerous ‘fire weather’ days has more than doubled since the 1980s.

France and Spain are currently battling some of the worst wildfires in living memory, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee.

Firefighters are battling blazes fuelled by searing heat and strong winds, with ‘fire clouds’ supercharging the devastating flames.

Now, scientists say these devastating scenes are becoming more likely thanks to a growing number of days with weather ‘primed’ for wildfires.

Researchers found that while Europe is experiencing fewer wildfires overall than four decades ago, those that do ignite are occurring under far more dangerous conditions, making them harder to contain.

The team warns that hotter, drier summers driven by climate change are creating the perfect recipe for fast-moving and destructive fires.

And they revealed the trend is particularly pronounced across Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece, where many communities are once again facing a summer of extreme heat and smoke.

‘We found that fire weather has severely intensified across the region,’ they wrote in the journal Scientific Reports.

Experts warned the number of dangerous ‘fire weather’ days in Europe has more than doubled since the 1980s

A fire rages in the forest near Blagon, during wildfires in southwestern France. Scientists say these devastating scenes are becoming more likely

For the study, a team, led by researchers from the University of Groningen, analysed wildfire records alongside weather and climate data collected between 1981 and 2025.

They examined how often so-called 'fire weather' occurred – periods of hot, dry and windy conditions that make it easier for wildfires to ignite, spread rapidly and burn intensely.

Rather than counting fires alone, they focused on the environmental conditions that make blazes especially dangerous.

The results showed that the intensity of fire-promoting weather has increased by up to 50 per cent in parts of France and Spain over the past decade compared with the period between 1981 and 2010.

Even more striking was the increase in the number of high-risk days. In many parts of the five countries studied, summers that once experienced fewer than 10 days of severe fire weather now experience around 25.

The researchers say rising temperatures and increasingly dry conditions are largely responsible for the shift.

These changes leave vegetation parched, allowing even a small spark to develop into a major wildfire.

It comes as parts of Europe continue to battle raging infernos. Over the past six days, the largest French wildfire since 1949 has raged west of Bordeaux, destroying 240 homes.

Meanwhile fires near Madrid have consumed 190,000 acres of land – an area almost the size of New York City.

Several wildfires are affecting the southern part of Brignoles and threatening the village of Camps-la-Source

The scientists found that despite the worsening weather, the annual number of fires has actually fallen by around 40 per cent across all five countries over the past decade.

The researchers believe this reflects improvements in firefighting, forest management, public awareness campaigns and efforts to prevent accidental ignitions.

However, they warn that the fires which do occur may be more difficult to control because they are burning under increasingly extreme weather conditions.

The study also found links between Europe's wildfire weather and major climate patterns affecting the planet.

One of these is El Niño, the natural warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that can alter weather thousands of miles away.

The researchers found that El Niño often preceded periods of particularly dangerous fire weather in northwestern Iberia, Sicily and southern Greece.

With this year’s ‘super El Niño’ expected to break records for its strength, this could mean even worse fires are yet to come.

Experts also recently revealed that 50°C (122°F) heat is 'perfectly possible' in southern Europe in the coming weeks.

The researchers argue that reducing wildfire risk will require more than simply putting out fires after they start.

They recommend expanding controlled burns and adopting land management practices that make forests more resilient to hotter, drier conditions.

They add that continued global warming is likely to intensify fire weather further unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

To conclude, they warned that fewer but potentially more destructive fires will likely become the new normal.