What is Climate Change?
Climate Change is the long-term shift in the Earth’s average temperatures and weather conditions – the change in the climate.
Climate Change is when the Earth’s temperatures and weather patterns change a lot over a long time. This can happen naturally, like when there are changes in the sun’s activities or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.
When we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, it releases gases called greenhouse gases. These gases act like a blanket around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and making the planet warmer.
There are several greenhouse gases that are causing climate change and include methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides. These gases are released when we use our cars, heat and light our buildings, burn forests and during farming.
It is now confirmed that 2023 witnessed the highest average global temperatures on record, driven by human-caused Climate Change and boosted by the natural El Niño weather event. The last nine years were all among the nine warmest years since recordings began.
Temperature rise is only one small part of climate change. The Earth is a system where everything is closely connected and balanced. Changes in one area has impacts in other areas.
The consequences of climate change include flooding, rising sea levels, forest fires, increased storm intensity and rainfall, droughts and water shortages. Some parts of the world experience theses consequences more intensely than others, but there isn’t anywhere that won’t experience the consequences of our changing climate.
The impacts of Climate Change in Wealden
The world is changing, and we need to change with it. The impacts of Climate Change are already being felt all over the world.
In the last few years, here in Wealden, we have experienced unprecedented weather. We have had back-to-back named storms, heatwaves, floods and unseasonable weather. This more extreme weather poses a challenge to how we travel and feed ourselves. It also impacts how we keep Wealden safe for future generations.
The whole world needs to adapt to Climate Change. In Wealden we have an opportunity to lead the way in demonstrating what is possible. The sooner we change, the sooner we will be able to create a clean, prosperous, and fair future for everyone – in Wealden, and beyond.
Climate projections
The most recent climate projections we have from the Met Office Hadley Centre suggest that the south east of the UK is likely to experience:
- Hotter summers with an increase in average summer temperature of 2-3°C by 2040 and 5-6°C by 2080
- Warmer winters with an increase in average winter temperature of 1-2°C by 2040 and 3-4°C by 2080
- Drier summers with a reduction in average precipitation of 20-30% by 2040 and 30-50% by 2080
- Wetter winters with an increase in average precipitation of 10-20% by 2040 and 20-30% by 2080
- Sea level rise of up to 0.3m by 2040 and 0.8m by 2080
What does this mean?
Communities across Wealden, especially those in the south of the district, Pevensey, are vulnerable to flooding.
More recently communities in the district have experienced flooding in, Hellingly, Hailsham, Heathfield and Alfriston.
Other locations across the district such as Crowborough, Uckfield, Forest Row, Polegate, Willingdon are also known to be at flood risk.
- Around 5 million people live in flood risk areas in England and Wales
- One in six homes in England is at risk of flooding.
- 40% of businesses do not reopen after suffering a catastrophic loss.
Sign up for flood warnings direct to your telephone, mobile, email, SMS text message.
You can also register by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.
You can also:
- check for current flood warnings in your area, or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188
- check the long term flood risk of an area
For more information about what you need to do if your area receives a flood alert, and advice, see our Flooding and Severe Weather Warnings page
See what work we have previously done to better prepare residents for flooding, as well as find our Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.
Additionally, please see East Sussex County Council’s work on flooding for more information on what is happening county wide.
There is increasing evidence that Climate Change is influencing rainfall patterns in many regions around the world. With Climate Change, we’re expecting more frequent and severe droughts due to patterns of low rainfall and higher temperatures.
This could negatively impact local agriculture, causing disruptions in food chains, affecting production, leading to price increases, shortages, and contributing to food insecurity.
For more information on how you can help reduce the chances of droughts in Wealden visit our page on saving water.
The country is experiencing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, which are placing increased pressure on water resources and infrastructure.
Climate Change is also affecting water quality and availability, as rising temperatures and changing rain patterns alter the water cycle.
South East England is already a water stressed region.
There will be increases in the intensity of heatwaves, more frequent storms and flooding, and higher risks of infectious diseases outbreaks. This has a negative effect on mental health as well as being a direct threat to our lives.
The public health benefits of climate action far outweigh the costs. Tackling climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions will result in improved health particularly through improving air pollution, more physical activity and healthier diets. For more information about the links between climate change and health, check out The Lancet Countdown and Greener NHS.
Evidence that the climate is changing
It is clearly evidenced that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Measurements of the average temperature at the Earth’s surface show it has risen by about 1.2°C since the pre-industrial period. In the UK, the most recent decade (2012 to 2021) has been on average 1.0°C warmer than the 1961 to 1990 average.
What does this mean?
Each of the last three decades have been hotter than the previous one and all 11 of the warmest years in the UK have occurred since 2003.
This change in temperature hasn’t been the same everywhere. It has increased more over land than over the oceans and has been more than twice as fast in the Arctic.
2022 was the UK’s hottest year on record, with an average year-round temperature above 10°C seen for the first time. 2023 was the UK’s second hottest year and globally, the hottest year on record.
While the climate is warming, temperatures aren’t expected to rise every single year. Natural fluctuations will still cause unusually cold years and seasons, but these events will become less likely, whilst more extreme weather events will become more frequent.
For more in-depth evidence of our changing climate, see the information below.
The Climate Change Committee is an independent, statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008. Their purpose is to advise the UK and devolved governments on emissions targets and to report to Parliament on progress made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change.
The latest report is called the Climate Change Risk Assessment 3 (CCRA3).
The Climate Change Committee found that the major risks facing England that are expected to have a big impact in the future and need immediate attention, considering any actions already taken to adapt, are:
- Climate Change causing problems for the natural world; affecting land, water, coastlines, and marine life, as well as forests and farming
- More pests, diseases, and invasive species harming land, water, and marine habitats, forestry, and farming
- The risk of Climate Change leading to more frequent flooding and coastal erosion, damaging important services like energy, transportation, water, and communication
- Less available water due to increasing periods of drought
- Extreme weather affecting transportation, like heatwaves, strong winds, and lightning
- Health and well-being issues from hotter temperatures and changing energy needs in homes
- More frequent and severe flooding of homes, communities, and businesses
- Coastal towns and businesses being threatened by rising sea levels, floods, and erosion
- Disruptions to health and social care services because of extreme weather events happening more often
- Damage to historical sites and landmarks from changes in temperature, rainfall, groundwater, and landscapes
- International problems like food shortages, safety concerns, and changes in laws due to Climate Change affecting the UK, as well as issues with global trade, public health, and interconnected risks across different areas
The Met Office Hadley Centre is one of the UK’s foremost Climate Change research centres.
Their aim is to provide climate science and services to people and organisations, so they can make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. They do this by working with partners around the globe, carrying out world leading research.
Their research has many purposes, including:
- Monitoring changes to the climate
- Determining the cause of these changes
- Developing services with end-users to find effective approaches to manage climate risk
See the Met Office Climate Dashboard to see how the Met Office tracks the changing climate with earth observations.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
Their latest assessment summarises:
- There is still time to limit the worst effects of Climate Change
- Stabilising the climate will require the planet to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050
- The planet’s climate is warming faster than anything experienced
- Every part of our planet is already seeing multiple and increasing changes in their climate systems
- Global warming is very likely to reach 1.5°C by 2040
- Climate Change is intensifying the water cycle affecting rainfall patterns
- Coastal areas will see continued sea-level rise throughout the 21st
- Further warming will amplify impacts globally