Scientists issued a warning on Tuesday that climate change has triggered extraordinary wildfires this year across Africa, Asia, and other regions of the world, with expectations that the situation will worsen as summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere and climate patterns linked to the El Niño phenomenon begin to intensify.

Fires that erupted between January and April have already caused record-breaking damage. Data compiled by the World Weather Attribution group, which studies the role of global warming in extreme weather events, shows that flames have consumed more than 370.66 million acres of land—an increase of 20% compared to the previous record.

Researchers warned that record temperatures are likely to rise further this year, leading to widespread droughts and additional wildfire outbreaks, as human-induced climate change continues to intensify alongside an exceptionally strong El Niño event.

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Theodore Kipping, a wildfire expert at Imperial College London and a member of the World Weather Attribution group, said: “Although the global fire season has not yet reached its peak in many parts of the world, this early start combined with El Niño forecasts suggests we are heading toward an extremely severe year.”

He added that around 210 million acres of land have burned in Africa since the beginning of this year, representing a 23% increase compared to the previous record of 170 million acres.

Heavy rainfall during the previous growing season contributed to increased grass cover, providing large amounts of fuel that fed savanna fires over recent months, alongside drought conditions and rising temperatures.