The Siberian Arctic experienced an unusual number of fires in 2019 and 2020. This raised concerns in the scientific community, as the Arctic has large areas of permafrost, a permanently frozen layer of subsoil that accumulates large amounts of carbon. Fires damage the permafrost and contribute to the release of carbon emissions in the form of greenhouse gases. The question that remained unanswered was whether this increase in fires in 2019-2020 was an exceptional case or a trend that will get worse as the Arctic warms.

The 10 European cities whose temperatures have been most influenced by climate change over the last 12 months include four in Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Zaragoza.

A climate shelter is a natural or an urban area with benign environmental conditions that offer protection from an unfavourable situation, such as too much heat, a shortage of water or a lack of access to suitable habitat. Climate shelters can be located in parks, promenades or avenues with trees and with fountains or access to natural water, such as a river or the sea. Each climate shelter’s conditions determine how well suited it is to different species — including humans — depending on their respective needs.