Storm Isha to hit the UK this weekend- how to protect your home in a storm

As the Met Office issues rare amber as well as yellow wind and rain warnings across the UK ahead of Storm Isha, Go.Compare home insurance is urging Brits to check their buildings insurance policies to ensure that they are properly protected from storm damage.

Wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour are expected in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and parts of England across the later part of the weekend.* Heavy rain is also expected across all of the UK with a yellow warning for rain in place with possibilities of flooding.

Ceri McMillan, Go.Compare’s home insurance expert, said: “After a spell of very cold weather, no one will be happy to hear that there is more extreme weather on the way. These storms are becoming more common place across the UK, so it is important to know how to be properly prepared for these events.

“Safety for you and your family will always be the utmost priority if a storm hits, but if you’re a homeowner, you may also be concerned about the risk of damage to your garden, house and any outbuildings.

“For those who know their area is like­ly to be hit by Storm Isha, then it is a good idea to check your home insurance policy documents to know what cover you have in place. Home insurance and cover for storm damage can vary significantly across the market. There isn’t such a thing as “storm cover”. Instead there are a number of different features of a policy which may cover you if you need to make ­a claim. So, spending five minutes to understand the terms and conditions of your policy will definitely be a good use of time. For example very few home insurance policies will cover you for any damage to a fence caused by bad weather.”

Ceri explained: “If your home has been impacted during a weather incident, it’s important that you make a note of the time and date so you can inform your insurer should you need to claim. Most insurance companies have some specifications as to what they deem a weather-related incident, so ensuring you have it all written down will help you if you need to make a claim. Also take some photos or a video of the damage as soon as it is safe to do so, which you can again share with the insurer when you make a claim.

“Another thing worth considering is that a storm can highlight problems with your home due to lack of maintenance or wear and tear – so if your roof was in a bad state of repair and damage occurs during a storm or high winds which wouldn’t have happened if the roof had been properly maintained, then the likelihood is that you would not be covered for this. You can also take some preventative measures, if it’s safe to do so of course, such as tying down garden furniture or any trampolines or play equipment, to prevent it from flying away and getting damaged etc.

“The most important thing to remember though, is to stay safe this weekend.”

Go.Compare home insurance has written a guide on what homeowners should do if they need to make a claim for storm or weather damage as well as some simple steps you can take to weather protect your house:  https://www.gocompare.com/home-insurance/weather-damage-and-home-insurance/.