Blog18 March 2020

Six in seven Brits think extreme weather is here to stay

People in Britain are convinced extreme weather conditions are here to stay, with 85% believing it has become the norm.

Flooded roads, fallen trees and damaged fences are no longer seen as rare occurrences. In fact, a quarter of 2,000 adults surveyed admitted they had been victims of flooding in some form.

Brits also estimate they’ve spent upwards of £790 in the last five years on repairs to their homes as a result of weather damage.

And more than one in 10 have had to spend more than £2,000 on weather-related restorations.

One in five are also planning changes to their home to combat the increasingly dangerous weather conditions – with a fifth planning on using sandbags to fight bad weather conditions.

And with an estimated 3,300 homes hit by extreme floods across the UK in recent months, 73 per cent believe the government need to do more to help people who suffer damage to their home from such circumstances.

A spokesman from Andrews Sykes Hire, which commissioned the survey, said: “Diverse weather conditions are seemingly becoming more frequent in this country.

“As a result, more focus has been put on ensuring our homes are in the best shape possible to battle the elements thrown at them throughout the year.

“The numbers of people in the UK that have been affected by weather damage is quite staggering – and it highlights the importance in taking measures that are necessary to protect your property.”

The study also found seven in 10 adults believe the general weather patterns have changed locally in recent years – but 29 per cent aren’t sure if they have adequate home insurance to cover extreme weather damage.

Fence destruction, broken roof tiles and leaks were the most common damages to homes, with 22 per cent having been impacted by falling trees.

But while half of those polled are confident in taking on certain home repairs themselves, nearly a third don’t think they’ve got the skills to do a good job.

It also emerged high winds, rainstorms and flooding are among the extreme weather conditions concerning people the most according to respondents via OnePoll.

As a result, new garden fences, storing away loose garden furniture and clearing the gutters are among the jobs high on the list of changes Brits hope to make ahead of future troublesome conditions.

But after a wet winter, many are predicting a heatwave this summer, with July earmarked as the most likely month for Britain to be scorched.

It also emerged nearly seven in 10 think the unpredictable weather is a cause for concern in the next few years and beyond.

Strong gales are feared most in the next 12 months as adults expect these will cause the most damage to their property.

A spokesman from Andrews Sykes Hire, added: “Extreme weather conditions don’t always necessarily mean flooding, but often this is sadly the case.”

“As conditions continue to fluctuate between hold and cold – heating and cooling requirements are likely to change that little bit more at home and in work, too.”

“Many are keen to take on their own repair work, but regardless of whether it’s done yourself or by a professional, there are a range of products available at Andrews Sykes that will help deal with the job.”

Extreme Weather – Survey Results
1. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? ‘Extreme weather conditions are now becoming ‘the norm’.’
Choice %
Strongly agree 34.25%
685
Somewhat agree 50.35%
1007
Neither agree nor disagree 11.70%
234
Somewhat disagree 2.70%
54
Strongly disagree 1.00%
20
2. Have you noticed the general weather patterns have changed in the area you live in recent years?
Choice %
Yes 70.70%
1414
No 15.25%
305
Not sure 14.05%
281
3. What kind of extreme weather conditions have you been personally affected by in the UK? Whether at home or when travelling
Choice %
Flooding 27.30%
546
Drought 12.30%
246
Rainstorm 48.90%
978
Snow 29.60%
592
Damp 16.35%
327
Ice 19.70%
394
Heatwave 34.65%
693
Wind 58.35%
1167
Dust storm 6.70%
134
Cyclone 5.10%
102
N/A – I have never been affected by extreme weather 13.95%
279
Other 0.40%
8
4. How have you seen extreme weather impact your local area?
Choice %
River flooding 30.60%
612
Road flooding 46.10%
922
Trees falling 48.40%
968
Power cuts 22.35%
447
Damage garden fences 44.40%
888
Reduced access 16.70%
334
Drought 10.15%
203
Impact local business 12.90%
258
Impact local agriculture 12.25%
245
Car damage 10.40%
208
Homes damaged locally 19.45%
389
N/A; I haven’t noticed an impact in my local area 17.05%
341
Other 0.65%
13
5. If you are a homeowner, have you experienced damage to your home as a result of weather (e.g. storm, flood) in the last five years?
Choice %
Yes 19.45%
389
No 53.65%
1073
Not sure 4.65%
93
N/A – I am not a homeowner 22.25%
445
6. What type of damage have you experienced to your home as a result of weather damage?
Choice %
Flooding house 16.45%
64
Flooding drains 19.79%
77
Roof leak 30.85%
120
Fences blown over 55.53%
216
Broken windows 16.71%
65
Broken roof tiles 37.02%
144
Fallen tree 21.85%
85
Broken TV aerial/dish 20.57%
80
Damaged front/back doors 13.62%
53
Broken gates 21.34%
83
Leaking windows or doors 20.05%
78
Other 5.14%
20
7. How much money do you estimate weather damage to your home has cost you in the last five years? Please select the closest match in pounds
Choice %
0-50 5.66%
22
51-100 12.60%
49
101-200 15.17%
59
201-300 15.68%
61
301-400 9.77%
38
401-500 9.77%
38
501-1000 11.05%
43
1001-2000 8.74%
34
2001-3000 3.86%
15
3001-4000 2.31%
9
4001-5000 3.60%
14
5001+ 1.80%
7
Average 794.76
8. Are you currently planning changes to your home to combat more varied weather conditions? E.g. making repairs, buying sandbags, mending/building fences
Choice %
Yes 19.42%
302
No 68.68%
1068
Not sure/not able to make any changes 11.90%
185
9. What changes to your home are you planning to combat increasingly diverse weather conditions?
Choice %
Use sandbags 21.85%
66
Build barriers 23.84%
72
Seal entrants and exits 22.85%
69
Roof repair 37.75%
114
New garden fences 41.06%
124
Increase home ventilation 18.21%
55
Improve heating system 28.48%
86
Clean the gutters 41.39%
125
Repair wall cracks 34.11%
103
Replacement windows 26.82%
81
Fit draft excluders 24.50%
74
Tidy the garden and store away anything loose 44.37%
134
Other 1.32%
4
10. If you are planning to make changes to your home, which extreme weather conditions are you planning for?
Choice %
Flooding 32.45%
98
Drought 16.89%
51
Rainstorm 44.70%
135
Snow 26.49%
80
Damp 30.46%
92
Ice 18.21%
55
Heatwave 25.50%
77
Wind 54.30%
164
Dust storm 23.51%
71
Cyclone 24.83%
75
Other 0.33%
1
11. Are you confident taking on home repairs on your own?
Choice %
Yes – I am confident with any job 18.97%
295
Yes – but only certain jobs 50.03%
778
No 31.00%
482
12. Do you have the necessary equipment to hand to take on varying home repairs?
Choice %
Yes, most 16.21%
252
Yes, some 54.98%
855
No 22.57%
351
Not sure 6.24%
97
13. Do you have adequate home insurance to cover you for extreme weather?
Choice %
Yes 56.78%
883
No 11.00%
171
Not sure 28.55%
444
N/A – I don’t have any home insurance 3.67%
57
14. Is your home/the place where you live at risk of flooding?
Choice %
Yes 12.15%
243
No 76.10%
1522
Not sure 11.75%
235
15. If you think there will be a heatwave this summer, which month do you think it’ll most likely fall into?
Choice %
June 12.45%
249
July 34.90%
698
August 30.95%
619
September 4.45%
89
Other month 1.35%
27
N/A – I don’t think there will be a heatwave 15.90%
318
16. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? ‘I’m concerned about weather conditions becoming more unpredictable in the next few years and beyond’
Choice %
Strongly agree 26.60%
532
Somewhat agree 41.75%
835
Neither agree nor disagree 23.45%
469
Somewhat disagree 5.60%
112
Strongly disagree 2.60%
52
17. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? ‘The government needs to do more to help people who suffer bad weather damage to their home’
Choice %
Strongly agree 36.60%
732
Somewhat agree 36.20%
724
Neither agree nor disagree 21.10%
422
Somewhat disagree 4.05%
81
Strongly disagree 2.05%
41
18. What month of the year do you think offers the best weather in the UK?
Choice %
January 0.75%
15
February 1.40%
28
March 2.15%
43
April 4.00%
80
May 13.10%
262
June 19.45%
389
July 20.70%
414
August 15.75%
315
September 8.55%
171
October 1.10%
22
November 0.65%
13
December 0.45%
9
N/A – I don’t think any month offers good weather 11.95%
239
19. What extreme weather do you think could realistically damage your home/the place where you live in the next 12 months?
Choice %
Flooding 16.35%
327
Drought 6.15%
123
Rainstorm 22.70%
454
Snow 10.15%
203
Damp 14.05%
281
Ice 8.05%
161
Heatwave 8.00%
160
Wind 45.30%
906
Dust storm 4.55%
91
Cyclone 9.20%
184
N/A – none in particular 30.50%
610
Other 0.10%
2
20. What do you think would be the best name for the next storm?
Choice %
Gordon 3.65%
73
Derek 2.10%
42
Wayne 2.05%
41
Dwayne 4.10%
82
Clive 2.25%
45
Cyril 3.90%
78
Dean 1.60%
32
Duncan 2.00%
40
Nigel 2.90%
58
Neville 3.55%
71
Sharon 2.05%
41
Jill 1.35%
27
Tracey 1.45%
29
Maureen 3.05%
61
Elaine 3.50%
70
Deborah 2.15%
43
Doris 4.45%
89
Wendy 3.80%
76
Siobhan 2.65%
53
Tina 1.45%
29
N/A – Not sure / Nothing in particular 40.45%
809
Other 5.55%
111