Ecclesiastical Insurance has urged property owners to take precautionary steps against subsidence following the driest start to the year in England and Wales since the mid-1970s. The carrier said this year’s drought came on the back of last year’s deluge, which was the wettest spring in almost 40 years.

Jeremy Trott, claims director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “Last Spring we saw some of the wettest conditions on record, with an increased risk of flooding, and this year we’ve gone in the complete opposite direction to one of the driest.

“It’s impossible to ignore the impact of a changing climate, which will likely bring more volatile weather conditions, including droughts, in the coming years.

“Going by our data from years, as a result, we expect the volume of subsidence claims to rise over time as weather conditions get warmer.”

Following the summer drought of 2022, Ecclesiastical said it saw a 54% increase in claims for subsidence on those from the previous year.

The carrier also warned against the increased risk of wildfires driven by the drier weather this year. From 2nd to 8th April 2025, it said more than 18,000 hectares (180 sq km) were burnt by wildfires in the UK, the highest weekly figure on record.