The Straits Times World News
· collected 2026-09-07 · by The Straits Times
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that increasing wildfires and heatwaves are threatening global air quality efforts due to climate change. According to the WMO's annual report, extreme wildfires are becoming a growing source of harmful pollution, which could undermine efforts to meet international air quality goals by making it harder to meet the World Health Organization's guidelines. The report highlights the impact of fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone pollutants linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease, citing a study that found extreme fire-smoke events have tripled globally since the 1990s. The WMO also calls for improved monitoring of pollutants such as black carbon and microplastics, which are poorly tracked despite their widespread presence in the atmosphere.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
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Story summary
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations' weather agency, warned on September 7 that climate change is making it harder to meet international air quality goals. According to the WMO's annual report, pollution from increasingly intense wildfires and heatwaves could undermine global efforts to improve air quality and protect human health. The organization noted that air pollution and climate change are closely linked, and that tackling them requires coordinated policies rather than separate approaches. Meeting the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines will become more difficult due to the increasing likelihood of extreme wildfires in the future. Wildfires are now a significant source of harmful air pollution, even as regulations have reduced emissions from industry and transport in many developed countries.
Written for “Climate Change Impact on Air Quality” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score -0.65 for article 6427 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-07
Wildfires, heatwaves threaten to undermine air quality: UN weather agency
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agency → threaten → quality
Pollution from increasingly intense wildfires and heatwaves could undermine global efforts to improve air quality and protect human health, the United Nations’ weather agency said on Sept 7, warning that climate change is making it harder to meet international air quality goals.
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it → undermine → goals
In its annual report on air quality and the climate, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said air pollution and climate change are closely linked and should be tackled through coordinated policies rather than in isolation.
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pollution → say → isolation
It warned that meeting the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines will become more difficult because extreme wildfires are more likely to occur in the future.
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wildfires → warn → future
Wildfires are becoming a growing source of harmful air pollution even as regulations have reduced emissions from industry and transport in many developed countries, the WMO said in its report.
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WMO → become → report
“No matter how clean your city or your region is... if you have a lot of pollution brought about by wildfires, that has the potential to negatively impact air quality in those regions as well,” Lorenzo Labrador, scientific officer at the WMO, told Reuters.
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Labrador → have → Reuters
The report highlights the growing impact of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, and ground-level ozone, pollutants linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
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report → highlight → disease
It also calls for improved monitoring of pollutants and aerosols including black carbon and microplastics, which it said remain poorly tracked despite their widespread presence in the atmosphere.
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it → call → atmosphere
2026 has been marked by extreme heat and destructive wildfires across parts of Europe, including Spain, France and Greece.
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2026 → mark → Spain
The WMO has said extreme heat is becoming more frequent, intense and longer-lasting as the planet warms.
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planet → say → ?
The new report said PM2.5 concentrations in 2025 were above long-term averages in northern Canada, parts of Russia and western-central Africa due to heightened fire activity, while north-western Spain was a hot spot following exceptional late-summer fires.
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Spain → say → fires
A study cited in the report found extreme fire-smoke events have tripled globally since the 1990s and may have contributed to nearly 100,000 additional deaths annually between 2010 and 2018.
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events → cite → 2010
Particulate matter from wildfires is particularly harmful because it comes with a host of toxic chemicals, Labrador said, adding that inhalation causes body-wide inflammation that can lead to pulmonary disease.
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that → come → disease
