Storm guidance

Keep up to date

The Met Office usually gives around 3 to 4 days’ warning before a storm hits, so keep an eye on the latest forecasts. You can also add your postcode to their live updates. Staying one step ahead makes everything easier.

Protecting your home before a storm

Prepare your home

Most storm damage happens outside the home so that’s the best place to start working, from the top down.

Take a look at your guttering. Make sure it’s secure and clear. If the wind gets underneath loose guttering, it can be dangerous and even if it stays put, damaged gutters can lead to leaks during a storm. 

Check your roof. Any loose or cracked tiles could break off and cause damage or injury. Roofers get booked up quickly after bad weather, so a little maintenance now can save you a lot of hassle later.

Give your window and door seals a quick once‑over to make sure they’re holding up.

Things we don't cover

We don’t cover fences and gates, so check they’re safe and secure.

Bins, big planters, BBQs, gazebos and garden furniture can all get blown around in strong winds. We don’t cover these so make sure they’re secured, if you can’t do this move them somewhere sheltered or further from your home.

Make an emergency checklist

Keep the details of local roofers, heating engineers, electricians and your utility companies close by.

Put together an emergency kit with a torch and batteries, candles and matches, tinned food, warm clothes and blankets.

Keep important documents handy too, including your home insurance policy and policy number so you can find them quickly if you need them.

Stay safe. In a bad storm there’s not much you can do except stay indoors, keep calm and wait for it to pass.

Keep your emergency kit close by so everything you need is within easy reach.

In case of flooding, switch off your electricity and gas. And never go near electrical supplies if you’re standing in water.

If your home or belongings have been damaged, take photos and make a claim.

Remove any items that can’t be repaired, but don’t throw them away - you may need them for your claim.

Keep small samples from carpets or rugs - you may need these for your claim.

A storm is when weather conditions have:

• winds stronger than 55mph
• hail or snow forceful enough to break glass or damage hard surfaces.

Heavy rain on its own isn’t classed as a storm. If there’s 25mm or more of rain in a day and it causes damage inside your home, we may look at your claim, if you weren’t aware of any external damage.

If you make a storm claim, we’ll check conditions in your area using a specialist weather service.

Just keep in mind, we can’t cover damage caused by wear and tear, or when the weather doesn’t meet the storm levels above.

Storms can be very local and sometimes nearby weather stations won’t pick them up.  We’ll look at other evidence too, including whether the type of damage matches what you’d normally see after a storm.

If we need to, we can arrange for someone to visit and assess the damage.

Wear and tear is the natural ageing that happens to your home over time. Examples include:

• cracks starting to form around chimneys or roof ridges
• roof tiles becoming loose as nails get rusty
• flat roofs sagging or splitting as they get older.

Insurance is there for sudden, unexpected damage and not day to day maintenance or issues that develop slowly. Sometimes a storm highlights a problem that was already there rather than causing it.

Keeping your home well maintained helps it stand up to bad weather better.

Regular maintenance can make a big difference. Here are some simple steps.

On your roof

• Repair seals, flashing and pointing.
• Clear gutters and drains.
• Fix any loose or damaged tiles.
• Check for moss, missing pointing or gaps between tiles.
• Consider having a builder or surveyor inspect the roof, especially if it’s older.

Flat roofs usually need renewing every 10 to 15 years, depending on the materials used.

Inside your loft

• Look for daylight coming through gaps.
• Check for torn underfelt.
• Keep an eye out for damp patches, especially near windows and doors.

Outside your home

• Look at nearby trees and remove any loose or overhanging branches where safe.
• If the tree isn’t yours, let the owner know.

Remember, storm damage to fences, hedges and gates isn’t covered.

Storm damage to fences and gates isn’t covered. But there are ways to help protect them.

Inspect and repair regularly

• Tighten fixings, replace damaged panels and reinforce posts if needed.
• Check for loose panels, rot or weak posts.
• Act quickly if you spot rot or significant wear.

Use stronger materials

• Concrete posts offer better stability than wooden ones.
• Choose wind resistant slatted or trellis panels that allow air to pass through.

Reduce the risk

• Remove overhanging branches that could cause strain in high winds.
• Clear away debris or items leaning on the fence.

For updates on named storms, sign up to Met Office alerts.

A weather warning doesn’t automatically mean your home insurance claim will be accepted as these alerts focus on the risk to people, not buildings. Storms can also hit some areas and miss others completely.

Most frozen food will stay safe for up to 12 hours if the freezer door stays closed.

If the power is out longer than this, your electricity provider may offer compensation so it’s worth checking with them first.

If you do need to claim

• Take photos of the spoiled food before you dispose of it.
• Keep any messages from your power company about the outage.
• We don’t cover food stored in your fridge.