Flames continue to savage the Amazon and the Brazilian army could be deployed to help extinguish the vicious fires. More than 74,000 wildfires have been reported in the Amazon this year alone – and almost 10,000 of those just in the past week. French President Emmanuel Macron urged the G7 to pressure Brasil’s president to take more action against the fires on Friday. The Brazilian army is ready to defend the Amazon rainforest, Edson Leal Pujol, head of the armed forces, has said amid increasing international pressure and calls for tough action to combat fires sweeping through the forest.
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The Amazon rainforest is known as the “lungs of the world” and provides 20 per cent of all the world’s oxygen. The huge stretch of forest is currently experiencing the most intense blazes for almost a decade. The sheer number of fires is the highest number since 2013 and compares with less than 40,000 in the same period in 2018. But as the fires rage on, the rain has started to fall across some parts of the rainforest – with concerned citizens aros the globe pinning their hopes on rainfall helping to quell the spread of the blazing infernos.
Is it raining in the Amazon rainforest?
The Amazon rainforest is currently in its annual dry season, which lasts from July to November.
However, weather maps show it is raining in some areas of the Amazon right now.
The environment is pretty wet in tropical rainforests, maintaining a high humidity of 77 percent to 88 percent year-round.
READ MORE: Amazon rainforest fire: Rainfall in the Amazon? Latest rainfall maps
However, the rainforest has been hit hard by climate change, experiencing the worst drought in 100 years in 2005.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the combination of climate change and deforestation increases the drying effect of dead trees that fuels forest fires.
One of the main reasons the Amazon has seen record fires this year, is due to deforestation.
Thousands of acres have been burned and destroyed by the numerous wildfires sweeping Brazil.
Wildfires are common in the Amazon’s dry season, but this year has seen record numbers of raging blazes in the region.
Fires are deliberately started in efforts to illegally deforest land for cattle ranching.
Cattle ranching is the largest driver of deforestation in every Amazon country, accounting for 80 percent of current deforestation rates.
Amazon Brazil is home to approximately 200 million head of cattle, and is the largest exporter in the world, supplying about one-quarter of the global market.
Some conservationist have blamed Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for the forest fires, saying he has encouraged loggers and farmers to clear the land.
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