ESA Satellites Capture Wildfires and Extreme Heat Across Europe
Listen to the story
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released new images from its satellites showing wildfires and extreme heat across Europe this summer.
The images are part of ESA's ongoing work to monitor the effects of climate change from space. Monitoring means watching something closely over time to see how it changes.
This summer has brought record-breaking temperatures to many parts of Europe. Several regions have recorded their highest heat levels ever measured.
ESA has also produced an animation showing how the extreme heat has spread across the continent. The moving images help scientists and the public understand the scale of the heatwave.
A heatwave is a long period of unusually hot weather that can be dangerous for health and the environment.
The intense heat has been linked to an increase in wildfires in several European countries. Fires have destroyed land and, in some cases, forced people to leave their homes.
Scientists studying the satellite data say this summer stands out for both its extreme heat and the scale of destruction caused by fires. Some have described it as a summer marked by both record heat and shame, referring to the damage and the lack of stronger action against climate change.
ESA's satellite images are expected to help researchers track future patterns of heat and fire across Europe, giving useful information for planning and prevention.
Vocabulary7 words
- European Space Agency
- an organisation that manages space projects and satellites
- satellites
- machines in space that take pictures of Earth
- monitor
- to watch something closely over time
- climate change
- long-term changes in the Earth's weather and temperature
- temperatures
- measurements of how hot or cold something is
- animation
- a video made from a series of images
- heatwave
- a long period of very hot weather
Quiz
Answer key
1. Wildfires and extreme heat in Europe 2. How extreme heat has spread across Europe 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released new images from its _____ showing wildfires and extreme heat across Europe this summer.
The images are part of ESA's ongoing work to _____ the effects of climate change from space.
This summer has brought record-breaking _____ to many parts of Europe.
ESA has also produced an _____ showing how the extreme heat has spread across the continent.
A _____ is a long period of unusually hot weather that can be dangerous for health and the environment.
The intense heat has been linked to an increase in wildfires in several European countries.
Scientists studying the satellite data say this summer stands out for both its extreme heat and the scale of destruction caused by _____.
ESA's satellite images are expected to help researchers track future patterns of heat and fire across Europe.