How can you prepare for extreme weather in the UK this Winter?

Climate Change Conference

More than 190 world leaders will be attending the UN Climate Change COP 26 which will begin in Glasgow on 31th October 2021 with the goal of accelerating actions within the Paris Agreement of 2015. The UN has organised annual summits on climate change for nearly three decades and in that time climate change has progressed from a peripheral issue to now being recognised as the global top priority. 

The threat that climate change poses is validated by the rising frequency of extreme weather events across the globe. Following storm Ida’s arrival in New York, US President Joe Biden declared “The climate crisis is here” and “We must do better to prepare.”  The UK is no stranger to this emerging pattern of extreme weather events.

Frequency of events in the UK 

There were 15 extreme weather events across the UK during this period with a 1-13 year range between events:

There have been 28 extreme weather events across the UK between 2000-2021. Which as well as the clear increase in frequency of events, a more concerning statistic is that there is only a 1-2 year range between event dates during this period:

• 12 floods (the most significant being the 2007 Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Hull and Worcestershire where the overall damage was estimated to be £6 billion)
• 8 storms (there was even a tornado in London in 2006 which caused £10m of damage
• 4 heatwaves (2003 had the hottest summer recorded in Europe since 1540 with Faversham in Kent seeing the highest temperature at 38.5 °C that year)
• 3 exceptionally cold winters (2018’s “Beast from the East” immediately comes to mind) 

Recent London flooding 

Weather records show that that more than the monthly average rainfall fell across some areas in the UK within a 24 hour period on 12 July this year. The volume of rainfall overwhelmed the urban drainage system and caused surface water flooding. During this 24 hour period the London Fire Brigade received over 1,000 calls due to the floods and likewise Thames Water received more than 2,500 calls.

Over the last 10 years we have seen a large increase in the amount of properties in London with basement additions to the original structure. Extending properties downwards permanently affects hydrogeological structures and changes the natural flow of water underground. Our claims data highlights a potential correlation with over 80% of all flood claims involving basements this year having occurred to properties in London.