Abbey warns of storm risk to houses

Following the freak tornado that hit London last week and increasingly inclement weather conditions across some parts of the UK, insurance provider Abbey has warned homeowners of the potential storm risk to their homes.

According to research by the company, up to 620,000 claims are made on home insurance every year for damage caused by storms.

The average cost of each of these claims is £522, creating a total expense of £324 million.

Abbey claims that, despite this risk, 36 per cent of homes in the UK remain uninsured.

Prasad Shastri, head of insurance marketing for Abbey, said: "In the last week we have seen storm and tornado weather across mainland Britain. Already we have seen a significant increase in storm related claims within the last month and this is expected to continue into 2007.

"We would advise all homeowners not only to prepare their property, but also make sure that they are in a position to limit the costs of any damages that might occur by making sure their home is adequately insured."

Abbey advises house owners to check that their insurance includes both contents and buildings cover and also carry out checks on their home, such as looking for loose roof tiles and making sure that they know how to switch off their utilities if necessary.