WMO warns of growing threat from wildfires and air pollution

Wildfires and heatwaves are producing fine pollutants that threaten international efforts to protect health and the environment, the World Meteorological Organization warned on September 7, 2026.

In its annual bulletin, the organization highlighted what it described as a destructive synergy between pollution and global warming. The warning focuses on the growing overlap between extreme heat, wildfire activity and deteriorating air quality.