How prepared for climate change are we as a community? As individuals? Do we have the knowledge and resources to respond to and recover from the results of climate change such as extreme weather events? It is important that we work together as well as independently to ensure that we are self-sufficient in the case of an environmentally-based emergency.
Resilience
What are the current climate risks?
As climate change has progressed, we have seen more and more ways that we can be affected by it. Shifting weather patterns and more frequent extreme weather events are already taking their toll locally and worldwide, and this in turn affects our food supplies, housing security, and economies. These risks are present globally but have been recognised to disproportionally impact poorer communities as they have less resources for resilience. We hope that by sharing information and resources we can help all of Wellington be prepared for climate change and recover from events quickly.
Flooding
Wellington has experienced several instances of flooding over the past decade, with the severity of these events increasing as time goes on. Part of this is due to the increased housebuilding in the town causing more runoff as there are increased impermeable surfaces. In tandem with this we have seen more extreme weather in recent years with the September 2023 storm seeing the most rainfall in the town since 1969.
Local meteorologist Simon Ratsey has been keeping weather records since 1962 and on Sunday 17th September 2023 he recorded 102mm of rain over a period of less than 36 hours, with 40mm of this rain falling within just a 2 hour span. The 1969 rainfall totalled 116mm though it was a more sustained fall and did not match the intensity of the 2023 storm. In the past 60 years there have been just 8 instances where the daily rainfall in Wellington totalled over 70mm, showing that this one day was very unique. To learn more about Wellington’s weather patterns over the past 50+ years, pick up Simon Ratsey’s pamphlet “Wellington’s Weather” at Wellington Museum.
Wellington as a whole is not as susceptible to flooding as some other towns though there are a few areas within our boundaries that are at a significantly higher risk than others. The map to the right shows the areas of town that are at risk of flooding both from natural waterways (RoFRS – Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea) and surface water (RoFSW – Risk of Flooding from Surface Water). This has been created by the Environment Agency from their data and shows the areas of risk with darker colours denoting a greater risk.
You can also check your current and long-term risk via gov.uk as they have used data to predict how flood risk will change in the coming years with climate change.
Temperature
As global weather patterns shift as a result of man-made climate change, we are seeing extreme temperatures more and more frequently. In 2022 we saw heatwaves all over the UK with a temperature of 40.3°C recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire on 19th July – the highest temperature ever recorded in this country. Wellington also saw its highest ever temperature at this time, reaching over 34℃ degrees.
Food and Water Availability
