A dangerous mix of conditions appear to have combined to make the wildfires blazing a path of destruction in Hawaii particularly damaging, including high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.

Experts also say climate change is increasing the likelihood of more extreme weather events like what香蕉视频直播檚 playing out on the island of Maui, where dozens of people have been killed and a historic tourist town was devastated.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 leading to these unpredictable or unforeseen combinations that we香蕉视频直播檙e seeing right now and that are fueling this extreme fire weather,香蕉视频直播� said Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 faculty of forestry. 香蕉视频直播淲hat these 香蕉视频直播� catastrophic wildfire disasters are revealing is that nowhere is immune to the issue.香蕉视频直播�

What香蕉视频直播檚 fueling them?

Major differences in air pressure drove unusually strong trade winds that fanned the destructive flames, according to meteorologists.

Trade winds are a normal feature of Hawaii香蕉视频直播檚 climate. They香蕉视频直播檙e caused when air moves from the high-pressure system pressure north of Hawaii 香蕉视频直播� known as the North Pacific High 香蕉视频直播� to the area of low pressure at the equator, to the south of the state.

But Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the islands this week, is exacerbating the low-pressure system and increasing the difference in air pressure to create 香蕉视频直播渦nusually strong trade winds,香蕉视频直播� said Genki Kino, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Honolulu.

Hawaii香蕉视频直播檚 state climatologist, Pao-Shin Chu, said he was caught off guard by the impact Dora had from roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers) away.

香蕉视频直播淗urricane Dora is very far away from Hawaii, but you still have this fire occurrence here. So this is something we didn香蕉视频直播檛 expect to see,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Strong winds, combined with low humidity and an abundance of dry vegetation that burns easily, can increase the danger of wildfire, even on a tropical island like Maui.

香蕉视频直播淚f you have all of those conditions at the same time, it香蕉视频直播檚 often what the National Weather Service calls 香蕉视频直播榬ed flag conditions,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University.

How climate change plays a role

香蕉视频直播淐limate change in many parts of the world is increasing vegetation dryness, in large part because temperatures are hotter,香蕉视频直播� Fleishman said. 香蕉视频直播淓ven if you have the same amount of precipitation, if you have higher temperatures, things dry out faster.香蕉视频直播�

Clay Trauernicht, a fire scientist at the University of Hawaii, said the wet season can spur plants like Guinea grass, a nonnative, invasive species found across parts of Maui, to grow as quickly as 6 inches (15 centimeters) a day and reach up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall. When it dries out, it creates a tinderbox that香蕉视频直播檚 ripe for wildfire.

香蕉视频直播淭hese grasslands accumulate fuels very rapidly,香蕉视频直播� Trauernicht said. 香蕉视频直播淚n hotter conditions and drier conditions, with variable rainfall, it香蕉视频直播檚 only going to exacerbate the problem.香蕉视频直播�

Stronger hurricanes

Climate change not only increases the fire risk by driving up temperatures, but also makes stronger hurricanes more likely. In turn, those storms could fuel stronger wind events like the one behind the Maui fires.

That香蕉视频直播檚 on top of other threats made worse by climate changes.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 an increasing trend in the intensity of hurricanes worldwide, in part because warm air holds more water,香蕉视频直播� Fleishman said. 香蕉视频直播淚n addition to that, sea levels are rising worldwide, so you tend to get more severe flooding from the storm surge when a hurricane makes landfall.香蕉视频直播�

While climate change can香蕉视频直播檛 be said to directly cause singular events, experts say, the impact extreme weather is having on communities is undeniable.

香蕉视频直播淭hese kinds of climate change-related disasters are really beyond the scope of things that we香蕉视频直播檙e used to dealing with,香蕉视频直播� UBC香蕉视频直播檚 Copes-Gerbitz said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 these kind of multiple, interactive challenges that really lead to a disaster.香蕉视频直播�

Claire Rush, The Associated Press