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Fire-weather risk changes when the clock moves from daily to hourly

Evidence
Peer-reviewed
Geography
Portugal and Spain / Iberian Peninsula
System
Fire-prone Mediterranean landscapes

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS

High-resolution Meso-NH simulations across three active-fire periods produced an hourly Fire Weather Index with a pronounced diurnal cycle and sensitivity to near-surface meteorology that daily summaries suppress.

WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ

Fire operations and ecological exposure occur within hours, not daily averages. Finer temporal resolution may improve when and where managers recognize short-lived dangerous windows.

CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY

The study evaluates modeled fire-weather conditions over three fire periods; FWI is a hazard index, not direct fire behavior, burned area or ecological severity, and model performance may not transfer unchanged to other regions.

SOURCE

Scientific Reports
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