The climatology of extreme wildfires in Portugal, 1980–2018: Contributions to forecasting and preparedness. (24th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carmo, Miguel; Ferreira, João; Mendes, Manuel; Silva, Álvaro; Silva, Pedro; Alves, Daniela; Reis, Luís; Novo, Ilda; Xavier Viegas, Domingos
• Is Part Of: International journal of climatology. Volume 42:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 3123
• Page End: 3146
• Publication Date: 2021-10-24
• Subjects: coincident drought -- dead fuel moisture thresholds -- extreme wildfire periods -- fire‐prone weather types -- western Iberia -- wildfires climatology; Climatology -- Periodicals; Climat -- Périodiques; Climatologie -- Périodiques; 551.605
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.7411
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0899-8418

Abstract

Abstract: Available research has extensively examined the spatiotemporal patterns of fire‐weather regime in Portugal, but a comprehensive climatology of extreme wildfires is still under development. This study calls for different strategies and scales of analysis aiming to describe the relationships between medium and low troposphere weather conditions and severe fire behaviour in mainland Portugal, between 1980 and 2018. In particular, critical fire‐weather patterns and thresholds that can contribute to operational and forecasting know‐how in short and medium time ranges are presented. We updated the general trends in the fire regime with a new, longer daily burned area series and developed a method that identifies Extreme Wildfire Periods (EWP) that form the basis for climate analysis. Synoptic analysis using Circulation Weather Types (CWT) showed that the northeasterly and easterly directional flows are significantly associated with EWP and produce the most severe fire‐weather conditions. The four main CWT related to extreme fire are driven from anticyclones over the eastern Atlantic between the Azores and the British Isles. However, severe situations can also be regulated by CWT with marginal presence in both summer and EWP: low systems located to the west and northwest of Iberia carrying air masses from the south quadrant are related to catastrophic events. Regarding the antecedent climate, the results indicate that the coincident meteorological drought, whether weak or intense, is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the development of an EWP. An increasing relevance of water stress for shorter intervals preceding EWP, in the order of days and weeks, is apparent. Following these results, fine dead fuel moisture thresholds related to transitions in fire behaviour in Portuguese landscapes are computed using a promising predictive moisture content model. Finally, the different methods used are summoned for the detailed analysis of an EWP starting under unusual synoptic circulation. Abstract : Over the last few decades, fire regimes in Portugal evolved to high‐intensity and uncontrolled wildfires. This unexpected magnitude remains partially understood and a comprehensive climatology of extreme fire behaviour is still underdeveloped. Changing frequencies of extreme fire‐weather events call for the concatenation of different analytical methods, as explore in this study. In the image, two fire‐prone circulation patterns show positive surface air temperature anomalies (colour classes) over western Iberia during Extreme Fire Periods in the 1980–2018 time frame.