11 per cent of homes hit as storms whip up average bills of £2,700

One in 10 British homes are running up repair costs amounting to thousands of pounds as a result of bad weather. With our climate becoming more turbulent, 11 per cent of UK properties have been damaged in the past five years.

Research by Abbey has revealed that storms, floods and high winds are leading to average bills of £2,699.

Roofs and gardens are the most likely places to incur a battering from the great British weather, although a quarter of all damage is to the insides of properties — for example, where loose tiles cause water to leak into a house.

People in Wales and the South-west worry most about the effect of bad weather on their property, according to the Abbey survey, while the Scottish are the most laid-back, with only 29 per cent feeling concerned about potential damage.

However, it is not all doom and gloom as the climate may be bringing local communities together. Over 59 per cent of us check on elderly relatives, neighbours or friends follow-ing severe weather.

Lloyd Wilson of Abbey Home Insurance said: "Bad-weather damage is a costly inconvenience, and for some people, especially in flood areas, it's becoming a yearly nightmare. The risk of damage to our homes is an ever-increasing reality and we need to be prepared for it."