That was the shock finding of a report which predicts rising sea levels, increased flooding and even summer droughts caused by severe heat waves.
The report was drawn up by Coun Peter Watts, who had been asked by his colleagues on Berwick Borough Council's overview and scrutiny committee to look into issues surrounding climate change as part of a county-wide consultation exercise.
"The county's climate is already changing and sea levels have risen," said Coun Watts.
He explained that his findings were based on a document drawn up by the Northumberland Strategic Partnership on the nature of climate change in the county, and that he had taken a Berwick borough perspective of the situation.
"From now to 2050, rainfall will be increasingly seasonal, less in summer, 21 per cent more in winter, with the Cheviots getting significantly more severe rainfall events," he said.
"Summer extreme temperatures will rise by 3C and heat waves will be more frequent, longer and harsher.
"Frost and snow will decrease markedly. Wind will show little change. Sea level will rise 0.3m, with surges a further 0.35m.
"There will be increased tidal flooding near Budle Bay, Holy Island, Waren Mill, Easington, Haggerston and Goswick."
Coun Watts said if the 2007 floods in Yorkshire had happened 100 miles further north, the rivers Till, Glen, Breamish and Tweed would have burst their banks.
He also highlighted how Berwick's poor drainage system would also affect the town during times of severe weather.
"In 2007 (in Yorkshire), five times as many houses and businesses were affected by overflowing drains and sewers than by river flooding. Several transport networks were cut in similar fashion."
Bringing the problem home, he highlighted an incident during recent heavy rain in Berwick.
"We have a drains problem in Berwick. Recently, we not only had flooding, but the Julian Graves store, in Marygate, was affected by the drains flooding."
Coun Watts said the prospect of hotter, drier, summers brought another set of problems, especially as the areas around Berwick and Wooler depended on ground water and not supplies from Kielder.
"Both farmers and the general population could suffer water shortages."
Coun David Stewart, chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, said one of the comments often raised during a debate on climate change was that it was outwith anyone's control - that it was going to happen anyway, that it happens naturally and that the human impact is just a small part of this change.
Coun Watts replied: "The document states that climate change is already happening. Changes are already detectable, such as a rise in sea level.
"How far climate change is cyclical or the result of human activities doesn't matter."
He said the committee was being asked for suggestions and comments which could provide a basis for further discussion on climate change at county level.
Among those he put forward was the production of a leaflet for farmers on how to survive a major incident, similar to one already published for the business sector.
He also suggested that to highlight the situation as starkly as possible to the borough's residents, some kind of emergency exercise or severe weather incident could be staged and filmed to show what would happen if nothing was done to prepare for the worst extremes of future weather patterns.
Members agreed to draw the report to the attention of all councillors and appropriate officers as well as other organisations, such as the Berwick Borough Local Strategic Partnership, and forward their observations to the Northumberland Strategic Partnership.