National Trust warns that the devastation caused by storms could become 'the new normal'

This year, a handful of events and some unseasonal conditions caused devastation to important landscapes, coastline, and resulted in various ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ for the county's wildlife, according to the trust.

Warmer, wetter winters are resulting in diseases such as ash dieback taking hold and causing significant loss of trees, impacting landscapes and homes for nature.

Looking back over the past year, the trust commented on how last month, as Storm Arwen ripped through the county, thousands of trees were lost in the Lake District and hundreds of trees gone on historic estates such as Wray Castle on the west shore of Windermere, Fell Foot and Sizergh near Kendal.

The damage caused by Storm Arwen. Picture: ENA Energy Network

Ben McCarthy, Head of Nature Conservation and Restoration Ecology at the National Trust says: “Climate change is making some forms of extreme weather events the new normal.

"Heatwaves and heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent and more intense.

"What we’re seeing in the UK with the impacts of wildfires and severe storms such as Arwen and Barra, is how climate change is altering our landscapes forever.

“These extreme events are putting even more pressure on Britain's wildlife, which is already in trouble with more than half of species in decline and 15 percent of wildlife species under threat of extinction.

"Our nature is part of what makes the UK unique and we must all play our part to protect it.

“The scale of the challenge we face is huge, but there is much we can do to heal climate harm. Isolated or small populations are the most at risk from climate impacts.

"Our conservation work protects and restores wildlife in our precious landscapes to help nature literally weather the storms. By conserving nature and improving habitats we can support larger populations that are better able to respond to the drivers of change and help nature’s survival.”

Fell Foot Storm Arwen damage

John Deakin, Head of Trees and Woodland comments: “Climate change could affect seasonal autumn colour in ways in which we are still to fully understand. But leaves could end up turning or dropping earlier with warmer temperatures and less rainfall.

"An increase in storms at all times of year will also stress trees and leaves are likely to fall quickly in autumn.

“Another threat is the growing numbers of tree diseases, some of which are being exacerbated by climate change. Trees which are stressed due to drought, for example, are more susceptible to disease, and warmer winter temperatures mean that some diseases are not as likely to be killed off by cold weather.

"This year the National Trust is having to fell another 30,000 trees due to ash dieback Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, which is killing ash trees across the country, as well as felling trees affected by sudden larch death, Phytophthora ramorum.

“The effect of Phytophthora ramorum, a fungus-like pathogen, has escalated in the Lake District, requiring urgent felling of larch at several sites with Holme Wood above Loweswater the worst affected, where 75 percent of the woodland will lose larch.

TARN Hows, Lake District

“A large proportion of woodland in the South Lakes is also badly hit, including Tarn Hows and Coniston, but also badly hit are Wasdale, Langdale, and Crummock and it is estimated that 95 per cent of rangers’ time in the Lakes this year will deal with this disease.

Ben added: “We finish the year with many places changed forever by the recent storms, demonstrating the power of nature, the changing climate and how our role in its future is even more critical.

"What is absolutely clear is that we need to tackle both the climate and nature crises as they are integrally linked and we need to make urgent progress with both.”