'Hydroclimatic whiplash' and the hottest year on record: How is climate change fuelling the California wildfires?

clock • 7 min read
Credit: iStock
Image:

Credit: iStock

As new data all but confirms 2024 exceeded the 1.5C warming threshold, researchers explain how climate-impacted weather events are exacerbating the conditions fuelling deadly California fires that could result in over $20bn of insurance claims

A combination of heavy rain followed by drought, high winds, and soaring temperatures are all contributing factors to the devastating wildfires in California this week, researchers have warned, highlighting...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

Author spotlight

Amber Rolt

Award-winning business journalist

View profile
More from Amber Rolt

'Chronically underfunded': England's nature-friendly farming schemes face £2bn funding gap

World Bank Group: Off-grid solar sector enjoying booming demand

More on Climate change

UN warns national climate pledges amount to global emissions cuts of just six per cent by 2035
Climate change

UN warns national climate pledges amount to global emissions cuts of just six per cent by 2035

UNFCCC estimates current climate pledges will deliver only marginal reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, underscoring the urgent need for a breakthrough at next month's COP31 Summit

Michael Holder
Michael Holder
clock 27 October 2026 • 9 min read
'Disaster Divide': UK's richest 0.1 per cent emit 46 times more CO2 than poorest half of population
Climate change

'Disaster Divide': UK's richest 0.1 per cent emit 46 times more CO2 than poorest half of population

The UK's 'ultra rich; emit more CO2 in just under a year than someone in the poorest half of the population has emitted over the last three decades, Oxfam study claims

Stuart Stone
Stuart Stone
clock 27 October 2026 • 4 min read
Study: Meat and chocolate heavy diets hit harder by 'climateflation'
Climate change

Study: Meat and chocolate heavy diets hit harder by 'climateflation'

Diets aligned with the NHS’ Eatwell Guide deliver ‘double dividend’ of greater protection from climate driven price shocks and better health, ECIU study finds

Stuart Stone
Stuart Stone
clock 22 October 2026 • 5 min read