Shout out to the economists who helped me make sense of everything!

Combined with rising temperatures and shifting wind and weather patterns, this creates the perfect conditions for wildfires to ignite earlier every year and burn longer – most likely for months to come.

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The other reason is climate change. Many countries saw heavy rainfall earlier in the year, followed by an exceptionally dry spring. It allowed forests and grasslands to grow lush, only to shrivel back into tinder-dry vegetation afterwards.

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A closer look at data from the #EFFIS shows that fires are starting earlier each year. The first sparks now flare weeks before summer, while the last embers die out much later. A longer season means more ground can burn, which is one reason behind this year's record total.

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Europe is engulfed in flames.

Wildfires raging across the continent have burnt more than 1.8 million hectares as of early September – making 2025 the worst year on record.

This figure, although alarming, doesn’t tell the full story.

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Gift link for those that stayed: www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/c9f9ee5...

Data from the Office for National Statistics, released earlier this year, show a similar and worrying trend.

The overall number of butterflies in the UK has dropped by 18 per cent over time, and in England by 19 per cent.

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By contrast, the holly blue had its second-worst Big Butterfly Count result on record, the common blue had its third worst and the meadow brown had its fourth-worst Count result.

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Thankfully, some species did show increases📈

The large white and small white both recorded their best Big Butterfly Count result on record.

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It's why this year's numbers are considered concerning -- they could have been higher!

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But the latter is something they’re more sensitive to, making them important #bioindicators.

Because they respond so rapidly to changes in climate and habitat, they act as an early warning system for wider environmental shifts caused by climate change.

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Butterflies need two things to thrive: good weather and a healthy environment.

The former was definitely checked off: it was the sunniest spring on record, and the warmest summer! ☀️

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While a marked improvement on last summer’s record low of just seven, it will do little to reverse longer-term declines.

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Between July 18 and August 10, more than 125,000 citizen scientists took part and recorded 1.7 million #butterflies and #moths.

On average, participants recorded 10.3 butterflies during each 15-minute count.

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We're tracking Trump on eight pledges:

✅Approval
👮Immigration
🇺🇦The war in Ukraine
📉The economy
👉His executive orders
💼Downsizing the government
🛢️Oil production
🌎Trade

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