Explained: El Nino's Role in Europe's Extreme Summer Heat and Wildfires

Over the past couple of weeks, firefighters have been working round the clock, tackling Belgium's largest wildfire on record. As emergency teams work to rescue those trapped, the rains and cool weather have brought in some respite in the country.The blaze in Belgium erupted following an intense heatwave with temperatures reaching 37 degrees C (98.6 degrees F), burning roughly 3,000 hectares of peatland and pine forest.According to reports, the fire forced the evacuation of about 600 residents and tourists in the nearby border municipalities of Waimes and Butgenbach. More than 250 emergency personnel supported by military units, Belgian and German ground crews, local farmers, and firefighting aircraft deployed through the European Union's civil protection mechanism worked to prevent the fire line from crossing from Belgium into western Germany.A Summer Of ExtremesThe fires in Belgium are a part of a broader picture of severe weather all across the Northern Hemisphere.