The research on the relationship between forest fires and meteorology is carried out using simple... more The research on the relationship between forest fires and meteorology is carried out using simple meteorological variables (Temperature, Wind and Precipitation) from a few, but well selected Greek meteorological stations. The 5 years (1998, 2000, 2007, 2012 and 2021), which recorded burnt areas more than the 25-year average (37000 ha), had as a common characteristic on the one hand a much drier than usual two-month period (July-August) following a winter period with a shortage of rainfall, and on the other hand a number of days with very high temperatures higher than the average of the last 25 years. The latter implies average temperatures in all three summer months at least 1°C above their normal values. In the years following, the burnt areas were below their average regardless of the precipitation and summer temperature patterns. However, when pre-cipitation during the two-month period (July-August) was 2 or more times more than normal, fire seasons had at most one-third of the 25-year average of burned areas, regardless of the precipita-tion of the winter periods preceding and summer temperatures in those years. This is very im-portant as already in the early days of each fire season it will be possible to have an estimation of its outcome and to prepare more appropriately when the accuracy of the long-term seasonal forecast of temperature and rainfall anomalies is improved.
The research on the relationship between forest fires and meteorology is carried out using simple... more The research on the relationship between forest fires and meteorology is carried out using simple meteorological variables (Temperature, Wind and Precipitation) from a few, but well selected Greek meteorological stations. The 5 years (1998, 2000, 2007, 2012 and 2021), which recorded burnt areas more than the 25-year average (37000 ha), had as a common characteristic on the one hand a much drier than usual two-month period (July-August) following a winter period with a shortage of rainfall, and on the other hand a number of days with very high temperatures higher than the average of the last 25 years. The latter implies average temperatures in all three summer months at least 1°C above their normal values. In the years following, the burnt areas were below their average regardless of the precipitation and summer temperature patterns. However, when pre-cipitation during the two-month period (July-August) was 2 or more times more than normal, fire seasons had at most one-third of the 25-year average of burned areas, regardless of the precipita-tion of the winter periods preceding and summer temperatures in those years. This is very im-portant as already in the early days of each fire season it will be possible to have an estimation of its outcome and to prepare more appropriately when the accuracy of the long-term seasonal forecast of temperature and rainfall anomalies is improved.
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