Hong Kong has new technology that protects against severe weather

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3041289/hong-kong-government-says-new-technology


Hong Kong government claims they have new technology that will protect them against severe weather on a scale of typhoon Mangkhut.Because of that typhoon and the damages that Hong Kong suffered from it, the officials have stepped in and invented technology that will protect the shoreline. "it uses laser imaging to capture the state of the facilities above the water and sonar waves to detect underwater structures, producing a high quality three-dimensional model for inspection."  With a wall like that protecting the shoreline, they will be able to detect when a typhoon is going to hit and prepare themselves. The wall is also made in a way that will be very difficult to tear down. With technology like that, Hong Kong hopes that whenever the next typhoon comes, their new inventions will be able to prevent costly damages as well as save peoples lives.

Israel holds extreme weather exercise

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-to-hold-extreme-weather-exercise-as-winter-arrives-610363


Israeli authorities will conduct drills on December 10-11 to better prepare themselves for extreme weather coming this next year. One exercise is called the "storm exercise" which will include a cold room that will have extremely high wind speeds circulating to prepare residents for severe storms. Other exercises include high heat in the room to prepare for hot weather that could cause heat exhaustions and heat strokes. I think that is a pretty good idea on conducting such drills because it prepares people for what is coming. The simulation may not be as severe as what is coming but at least they will know how to prepare themselves and what to do when such an event happens in real life. The Israeli authorities are also conducting a large scale earthquake big enough to create a tsunami just in case a weather event like that takes place.

Flash Drought engulfed the US Southeast in September 2019

A potent combination of record-breaking heat and a lack of rain has led to the rapid development of drought across the southeastern United States and Tennessee and Ohio Valleys during September 2019.

Coming off an extremely wet 2018 east of the Rockies, the fast onset of widespread extensive drought has been quite the climate whiplash for millions across the Southeast.  With warmer than average temperatures expected to continue and October being a generally dry month based on climatology, drought conditions are likely to continue and possibly expand.

The rapid onset and severity of the event qualified it as a “Flash drought.” Generally, droughts are caused by a lack of precipitation over an extended period of time.

As rains didn’t fall, temperatures soared. September was among the five hottest Septembers on record for every state in the entire Southeast U.S. New Orleans, for instance, recorded its driest and warmest September on record with 7 daily record highs set during the month.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/flash-drought-engulfs-us-southeast-september-2019

Sydney Smoke: Impact of Bushfire on Australian City

Thick smoke from Australia's catastrophic bushfires is still enveloping parts of Sydney, leaving residents to breathe hazardous air after skies turned orange and brown.

The air quality dropped to hazardous levels in many areas of Sydney and the surrounds area today, according to CNN affiliate Nine News Network.

Meanwhile, New South Wales is experiencing the "longest and most widespread" period of air pollution. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said Monday that spring 2019 was the country's driest on record, fueling one of the country's worst bushfire seasons ever. As of Thursday, more than 117 bush and grass fires were burning, with more than 60 not yet contained.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/06/australia/sydney-smoke-photos-bushfire-intl-scli/index.html#

A Storm Brought on Largest Waves Ever Recorded

The bomb cyclone that pounded the West Coast last week brought with it some of the tallest waves ever recorded off the California coast.

A monstrous 75-foot wave was recorded about 20 miles off the coast of Cape Mendocino in northern California, according to the University of California.

In the 15 years, the program has operated a station in that location, the significant wave height -- or the average height of the tallest third of waves that occur over 30 minutes -- typically doesn't exceed 10 feet tall during the winter.

The 75-footer was the tallest of the waves recorded in that period, which averaged around 43 feet tall. Still, that's "definitely unusual" for this time of year.



https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/06/us/75-foot-wave-california-bomb-cyclone-wxc-trnd/index.html

New Zealand Glaciers are Turning Red

One of the most startling consequences of the bushfires that are still raging across Australia is that they have turned some of New Zealand's famed glaciers red and pink. 

Travel photographer and blogger Liz Carlson snapped the pictures of the discolored snow-capped glaciers on November 28 while on a helicopter flight around Mount Aspiring National Park, in New Zealand's South Island. 

Australia has been experiencing one of its worst bushfire seasons on record. As of Thursday, there were more than 117 bush and grass fires with more than 60 not yet contained. 

Westerly winds blew the smoke from the Australian fires toward New Zealand. The heavier particles in the smoke fall out and, in this case, discolored the snow in New Zealand. 

Until the material on the glaciers is tested, it is not possible to know for sure what material it is.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/05/australia/australia-bushfires-new-zealand-glaciers-scn-scli-intl/index.html

Extreme weather patterns are raising the risk of a global food crisis

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/12/09/extreme-weather-patterns-are-raising-risk-global-food-crisis-climate-change-will-make-this-worse/


Extreme weather, specifically droughts and heat waves are putting important crops such as wheat, maize and soybeans at risk. If such events continue to occur, there will be a noticeable increase of price on scarce crops and there will be food shortages for us as humans and animals. Many crop holders will be losing money from such weather and will have a difficult time keeping their farm afloat. Droughts are not the only weather that could affect crops however. Cold weathers and floods also account for a lot of crop loss. In general , crops are at an all time risk and those who grow crops should try to preserve as much crops as they can before it becomes more difficult to not only grow crops but sell crops. " In general, extremes will become stronger and the likelihood that extremes will occur simultaneously will also increase" Kornhuber said. 

refugees at increased risk due to extreme weather

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50692857


Refugees in Africa and Asia are exposed to severe weather and have an increased risk of fatality. Many of these refugees live in tents that cannot really survive harsh winds. "An increasing number of camps for refugees and internally displaced people are being hit by extreme weather events and managing them in such conditions is proving to be increasingly difficult.".  A tropical cyclone hit South Africa killing 1,000 people back in march 2019. That storm also destroyed or damaged the shelters of 2,000 refugees. Many refugees also live in mud huts and are prone to being flooded by severe storms which proved to be the case many times over this past year. Statistics show that 28 million people were internally displaced in 2018 alone due to extreme weather.

Storm Atiyah: South West battered by 73mph winds

People were warned to stay indoors and avoid the roads unless necessary after gusts of more than 70mph (112km/h) battered parts of the UK overnight.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service issued the advice as it dealt with a number of storm-related incidents. A similar warning was issued on Jersey.

Hundreds of homes in Devon and Cornwall were without power.

In Bude, a road was closed after part of a Sainsbury's supermarket roof came off on Sunday night.

The supermarket said the store remained closed on Monday morning but staff were working hard to reopen. The spokesman said the popular Bude supermarket tunnel, which topped TripAdvisor ratings last year, was safe.

There were reports of fallen trees blocking a number of roads in Cornwall, where winds reached speeds of 73 mph (117 kmph), while Highways England said 29 trees came down in Devon overnight.

The A377 at Umberleigh, Devon, was closed by a landslip and several large fallen trees.

In another incident at Topsham, Devon, a police officer tweeted photos of a colleague lifting a tree out of the way of a dark road, writing: "Topsham you are most welcome."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-50711238

Tornado rips through olive oil factory in Greece, sending debris in the air

A violent tornado took aim at an olive oil factory in Greece on Monday, sending debris into the air as the dozens of workers inside managed to escape serious injury.

The twister touched down shortly after 1 p.m. local time in the city of Kalamata, located about 145 miles southwest of Athens.

Security cameras captured the moment the violent winds sweep across the factory, sending metal panels and debris up in the air, some hitting cars parked on the side of the factory.

Even with the dramatic footage, no casualties were reported from Monday's incident.

Local media reported, however, that the storm destroyed a warehouse at the olive oil factory, which is also a major producer of balsamic dressing.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/tornado-greece-olive-oil-factory-debris-severe-weather

Tornado at 13,200 feet in Bolivia occurred at a higher altitude than any on record in U.S.

A rare tornado touched down near the El Alto International Airport in Bolivia on Sunday, tossing debris into the air and possibly swirling its way into record books as one of the highest-altitude tornadoes ever observed.

The tornado descended Sunday afternoon, causing minor damage as it passed along the northern periphery of the airport and into nearby neighborhoods. El Alto International Airport is the highest international airport in the world at 13,313 feet, serving the city of La Paz.

The whirlwind reportedly came without warning from El Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología, Bolivia’s equivalent to the National Weather Service. The main weather hazard highlighted before the tornado had been river flooding well to the east amid recent heavy rainfall.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/12/09/tornado-feet-bolivia-occurred-higher-altitude-than-any-record-united-states/

Fresno County hit by heavy rain along with lightning and thunder

The National Weather Service has issued Significant Weather and Flood Advisories for Central Fresno County.

The Significant Weather Avisory is expected to expire at 1 p.m., but with heavy rain coming down in the area, it might be extended.

There is lots of lightning and thunder in the area as well.

A Flood Advisory has been issued for areas with poor drainage in Central Fresno County.

https://kmph.com/news/local/central-valley-hit-by-heavy-rain-along-with-lightning-and-thunder

Man seriously hurt in lightning strike in north

A 19-year-old man sustained serious injuries Sunday in a lightning strike in northern Israel, less than two months after a fatal bolt killed a teenager.

The man, who was struck near Kibbutz Ramat HaShofet, was taken to the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa for treatment.

His friends told the Magen David Adom ambulance service that there heavy rain followed by a bolt of lightning, after which they noticed their friend lying on the ground. The group were standing in an open field at the time.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-seriously-hurt-in-lightning-strike-in-north/

A storm brought some of the largest waves ever recorded off the California coast last week.

The bomb cyclone that pounded the West Coast last week brought with it some of the tallest waves ever recorded off the California coast.

A monstrous 75-foot wave was recorded about 20 miles off the coast of Cape Mendocino in northern California, according to the University of California, San Diego's Coastal Data Information Program.

In the 15 years the program has operated a station in that location, the significant wave height -- or the average height of the tallest third of waves that occur over 30 minutes -- typically doesn't exceed 10 feet tall during the winter.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/06/us/75-foot-wave-california-bomb-cyclone-wxc-trnd/index.html

Northern California Storm Causes Rockslide and Flooding; Two Hurt When Tree Falls in San Francisco

A winter storm caused a rockslide and flooding Saturday that closed highways across Northern California and damaged several homes.

Two people were hurt when a tree fell on them on a sidewalk in San Francisco.

Northbound Highway 101 was closed by floodwaters for hours Saturday evening, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. At least three cars were stalled, and traffic inched along until after 8 p.m. when the freeway reopened.

Thigh-high water washed into homes in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood, KPIX reported.

“The storm hit, and the sewers backed up, literally and water just came cascading out of the drains, cascading down, and nothing could handle it,” Sarah Glover told the TV station.

A 30 to 40-foot tall tree, likely knocked down by wind, fell on two people about 1 p.m. Saturday in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood, The Associated Press reported. The man and woman were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

https://weather.com/news/news/2019-12-08-northern-california-storms-rockslide-flooding

Drenching rain, ice among dangers a significant late-week storm will unleash in East

A stormy weather pattern has evolved in the eastern United States during the second week of December, and forecasters say it's likely to culminate in a significant weather system later this week.

Despite a blast of Arctic air and an episode of wintry precipitation at midweek, temperatures are forecast to quickly rebound ahead of the next major storm in most but not all areas of the East Friday and Saturday.

AccuWeather meteorologists expect a narrow zone of heavy snow to develop on the back side of the storm, but most areas can expect a dose of rain rather than snow over the eastern third of the nation.

Instead of an intense storm traveling up the spine of the Appalachians or hugging the coast with cold air nearby and heavy snow in the eastern part of the Ohio Valley, a more moderate storm will travel in the swath between the Appalachians and the Atlantic coast during Friday and Saturday.

Enough cold air will remain rooted in parts of the East to allow for some wintry precipitation and travel.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/drenching-rain-ice-among-dangers-a-significant-late-week-storm-will-unleash-in-east/642121

November's extreme weather

Countries around the world were hit by extreme weather this November.

Seasonal rains in parts of Central and East Africa were devastating, with landslides and floods triggered by heavy rainfall killing dozens of people in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In Italy, Venice suffered some of its worst flooding in history as a combination of high tides, extreme winds and heavy rain push much of the historic city underwater.

Parts of Australia also suffered from rampant bushfires amid soaring temperatures and water scarcity due to an ongoing drought.

In the United States, wildfires burned for weeks in California as dry and extremely gusty winds fuelled the flames.

The month ended with extreme winter storms moving across the US during the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest travel periods of the year, causing havoc for tens of millions.

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/pictures-november-extreme-weather-191129093103959.html

Israel to hold extreme-weather exercise as winter arrives

Israeli authorities will conduct nationwide drills on December 10-11, to deal with extreme weather scenarios.

The drills are being run by the Public Security Ministry, in collaboration with the IDF, Israel Police, Israel Prison Service, Fire and Rescue Commission and the Interior Ministry as well as other bodies. The exercise has been named “Storm Suit.”

The “Storm Suit” exercise includes scenarios for extreme wintry weather conditions that will test the efficiency of inter-organizational competence and the level of national preparedness in responding to such weather in Israel.

On Wednesday, a field exercise will take place at Kiryat Anavim, a kibbutz in central Israel, simulating the collapse of guest facilities leading to many injuries. The scenario will be led by the Israel Police, with the participation of the Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, the Deputy Commissioner of Israel Police and other officials. During the exercise, a field tour will be held.

Later that afternoon, another exercise will take place at the Shlomo Group Arena in Tel Aviv with Erdan and Internal Affairs Minister Arye Deri, during which a situational assessment and review will be conducted by the Interior Ministry’s director of emergency services, the head of the Israel Police and other bodies involved.

Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry released a report last week during a UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, detailing the impact of climate change on Israel’s climate, and projected potential future natural disasters. The report focuses on four climate trends expected to negatively impact Israel: higher temperatures, higher humidity, rising sea levels and more extreme weather fluctuations.

Israel has also been preparing for a long overdue, large-scale earthquake, leading to IDF and Navy drills taking place, as well as government-funded projects to help Israelis prepare for any future earthquake or resulting tsunami.


https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-to-hold-extreme-weather-exercise-as-winter-arrives-610363

Albania PM Optimistic of World Support on Quake Recovery

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister said Wednesday he was pleased with the international support he secured at a NATO summit on dealing with the aftermath of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that killed 51 people and injured more than 3,000 others.

Edi Rama said before leaving the NATO summit in London that he had positive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders from Europe and Canada and that he received a positive reaction to his aspiration to hold an international donors’ conference.

The European Union and the United Nations are coordinating international efforts, including those from the United States, to assist Albania after the earthquake that affected more than half of the country’s 2.8 million population.

https://www.weatherbug.com/news/Albania-PM-Optimistic-of-World-Support-on-Quake-Re

You just lived through the warmest decade on record – and it's only going to get hotter

Global warming shows no signs of letting up.

The years from 2015 to 2019 and from 2010 to 2019 “are, respectively, almost certain to be the warmest five-year period and decade on record,” the World Meteorological Organization said in a report released Tuesday.  

“Since the 1980s, each successive decade has been warmer than the last,” the agency said.

2019 concludes a decade of exceptional global heat, retreating ice and record sea levels driven by greenhouse gases from human activities, according to the WMO.

“If we do not take urgent climate action now, then we are heading for a temperature increase of more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, with ever more harmful impacts on human well-being,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said. “We are nowhere near on track to meet the Paris Agreement target.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/03/climate-change-warmest-decade-record/2595133001/

December in the Lower 48 Begins With Most Snow Cover in Years

The blue, purple and pink shadings show the estimated snow cover across the Lower 48 Monday morning.

There's snow on the ground across more of the Lower 48 to start December than there has been in at least 16 years. 

An estimated 46.2% of the contiguous U.S. had snow on ground as of Monday morning, according to NOAA's National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center. That's well above the 25.9% average Dec. 2 snow cover for the last 16 years.

https://www.wunderground.com/article/safety/winter/news/2019-12-02-early-december-2019-most-snow-cover-16-years

East Africa Floods Persist, Killing at Least 250

Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall have killed at least 250 people in recent months in East Africa, adding to a weather-fueled crisis that has impacted some 2.5 million people in the region.

Rainfall from October to mid-November was as much as 300% above average across the Horn of Africa, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. The areas hit hardest include parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, where most of the deaths have occurred. 

In some areas, the floods came on the heels of a drought that wiped out crops and livestock and left more than 50 million peoplefacing a food shortage.

https://www.wunderground.com/article/news/news/2019-12-03-africa-flooding-deaths-kenya-somalia-sudan-ethiopia

Nailed It: Early Climate Models Have Accurately Predicted Effects of Global Warming, Study Finds

This color-coded map shows global surface temperature anomalies. Higher-than-normal temperatures are shown in red, and lower-than-normal temperatures are shown in blue.

The computer models used over the past five decades to predict the impact of future global warming have turned out to be very accurate so far, a new study has found.

Climate scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NASA evaluated climate models from the early 1970s into the late 2000s to see how well they predicted the actual global mean surface temperature, based on levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

They also looked at how well the models matched the relationship between warming and changes in levels of greenhouse gases.

Of the 17 climate projections examined, 14 effectively matched observations after they were published, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

https://www.wunderground.com/article/science/environment/news/2019-12-05-early-climate-change-models-accurate

Indian Ocean Dipole: What is it and why is it linked to floods and bushfires?

Flooding and landslides in East Africa have killed dozens of people and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Australia, a period of hot, dry weather has led to a spate of bushfires.

Both weather events have been linked to higher-than-usual temperature differences between the two sides of the Indian Ocean - something meteorologists refer to as the Indian Ocean Dipole.

The dipole is a climate phenomenon similar to El Niño

The Indian Ocean Dipole - often called the "Indian Niño" because of its similarity to its Pacific equivalent - refers to the difference in sea-surface temperatures in opposite parts of the Indian Ocean.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50602971?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cx1m7zg05wpt/severe-weather&link_location=live-reporting-story

Wales weather: Wind warning in place in coastal areas

Gales of up to 70mph are set to hit coastal areas of Wales, the Met Office has said in a weather warning. 

The yellow warning for wind is in place from 18:00 GMT on Sunday until 19:00 on Monday. 

The forecaster warned transport delays were likely and power cuts were possible, with strong gusts expected in the south and west of the country. 

Restrictions are in place on three major bridges, including the M48 Severn Bridge.

The warning covers Caerphilly, Cardiff, Ceredigion, parts of Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Vale of Glamorgan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-50670946?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cx1m7zg05wpt/severe-weather&link_location=live-reporting-story

Monsoon

Vanakkam! The North-East Monsoon may wag its proverbial tail one last time, at least in South Tamil Nadu! Model prediction suggests that the season may revive for one last hurrah over the next eight to 10 days in the form of yet another easterly wave trailing the current one, as a seemingly endless stream of storms in the West Pacific/South China Sea to the East work away in the background, says the US National Centers for Environmental Predictions/Global Ensemble Forecast System (NCEP/GEFS) model.

 As happens during the fag-end of the North-East Monsoon, the activity will be centered around South Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Hardly any purchase for North Tamil Nadu, for which the season may have just ended, bar the shouting.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/chennai-and-tamil-nadu-weather-forecast-december-9-monday/article30243443.ece#

‘The Amazon Is Completely Lawless’: The Rainforest After Bolsonaro’s First Year

For months, black clouds had hung over the rainforest as work crews burned and chainsawed through it. Now the rainy season had arrived, offering a respite to the jungle and a clearer view of the damage to the world.

The picture that emerged was anything but reassuring: Brazil’s space agency reported that in one year, more than 3,700 square miles of the Amazon had been razed — a swath of jungle nearly the size of Lebanon torn from the world’s largest rainforest.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/the-amazon-is-completely-lawless-the-rainforest-after-bolsonaros-first-year/ar-BBXNJ3T

'I'm watching it disappear:' Residents along Lake Erie reckoning with worsening shoreline erosion

Sue O'Brien gets anxious — "shaky," she said — as soon as a storm is in the forecast. 

"We call it PTSD, and I don't think that's a stretch," she admitted. "As soon as the winds start … you start getting really worried."

O'Brien, who is now retired, said she has spent $100,000 trying to fortify her property on the edge of Lake Erie. Her backyard is guarded by a steel barrier, many of her windows are permanently boarded up and sandbags surround the foundation of her home. 

But every storm betrays the cruel futility of her efforts. As the winds pick up, so does the water, as four-metre-high waves slam into cottages already gutted by nature's wrath. The lake takes over O'Brien's backyard and gushes around to the front of her home. 

"We used to have sand and beach," she said. "This year has been like a nightmare." 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/im-watching-it-disappear-residents-along-lake-erie-reckoning-with-worsening-shoreline-erosion/ar-BBXQgzo

Heavy Floods in Sri Lanka

In Batticaloa district 51,434 people from 15019 families have been affected in the due to heavy rains and 2,303 people have been relocated to 15 shelters, according to the Batticaloa District Secretary Manikkam Udayakumar.

The government has allocated Rs. 1.7 million for the provision of cooked meals to the displaced people at shelters and dry rations to the people temporarily staying with friends and relatives.

The District Secretariat has requested Rs. 16.6 million from the Disaster Management Center to provide relief to all those affected by the floods and inclement weather.

Meanwhile, in the five districts of the Northern Province 64,448 people are affected by the floods while 8,478 people from 2,611 families have been displaced. They are accommodated at 56 shelters.

Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts are the worst affected in Northern Province. In Kilinochchi, 23,344 people have been affected while 6,090 people have been displaced. In Mullaitivu, mostly in Puthukkudiyiruppu, 30,020 have been affected.

Overall in the island 235,906 people of 70,000 families are affected by the adverse weather and 13,310 people from 4,083 families have been displaced. Relief for the victims continues uninterrupted, the DMC said.

Meanwhile, sluice gates of several reservoirs have been opened in Anuradhapura.

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_19B/Dec07_1575736060CH.php

https://www.cnn.com/videos/weather/2018/07/06/lightning-thunderstorm-safety-jennifer-gray-orig-ec-mss.cnn

Twenty-five million lightning strikes occur every year in the US, according to the National Weather Service. CNN's Jennifer Gray shares tips on how to avoid being a victim

Watch the video:

https://www.cnn.com/videos/weather/2018/07/06/lightning-thunderstorm-safety-jennifer-gray-orig-ec-mss.cnn

6 important things to know about wildfires

While there are certainly natural phenomena that cause wildfires, such as lightning, a NASA study says 84% of wildfires are caused by human carelessness. It doesn't take much, either -- a campfire, discarded cigarette or errant firework can be enough to trigger a huge blaze. Even all terrain vehicles (ATVs) can be a wildfire risk, because the hot exhaust can ignite dry brush. 

There have also been recorded cases where wildfires were blamed not on carelessness, but arson.

It's no suprise that, say, dry conditions increase fire risk. But windy conditions can also push wildfires forward and spread embers. Hot conditions can make the ground more likely to burn, and on a hot day, rising warm air can create a path for fire to travel up steep landscapes such as mountains. In fact, fire will burn faster uphill than downhill. 

Very large fires can create their own weather -- strong winds, and in some cases, fire tornadoes.

https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/weather/wildfires-things-to-know-trnd/index.html