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First Named Storm Of 2025/26 Season Prompts Warning From Rural Insurer: ‘Pack Up Your Summer Furniture.’

Photo by Ray Bilcliff: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sea-waves-crashing-on-the-seaside-8529398/

UK rural insurer NFU Mutual is urging people not to be complacent and to take action to prevent damage before Storm Amy brings dangerous winds to much of the UK this Friday and Saturday.

The storm will bring gusts of up to 90mph in parts of Scotland and 70mph in the North of England, Northern Ireland and Wales, potentially wreaking havoc on properties and businesses and putting lives at risk.

High winds could pull down trees and damage buildings, and heavy rain could lead to localised flooding. The Met Office has issued an amber weather alert for parts of Scotland, with a yellow alert in place for the rest of Scotland, the North of England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

NFU Mutual is urging all home and business owners to consider the risks of the storm and take appropriate action to mitigate danger and damage.

Andrew Chalk at NFU Mutual
We know from experience that wind storms can catch people off-guard, causing more damage than expected, so it’s important not to be complacent.

With many trees still in leaf, there could be a greater risk of fallen trees and branches – debris which could disrupt transport and cause power outages, as well as causing damage to buildings and a risk to people.

Storm Amy is expected to hit on the early evening of Friday, so we do have some warning. While everyone should make safety their number one priority, now is the time to pack up or tie down your summer furniture, which may have stayed outside for the past few months. Garden furniture and ornaments can be turned into battering rams by strong winds, so this is a simple way to reduce risk.

Gale-force winds can rip tiles from roofs, tear down trees and topple walls, so if it's safe and you're able to do so you should think about securing roofs and walls and pruning overhanging branches. Make sure vehicles are kept in a safe place and ensure windows and doors can be and are shut during the storm.

As well as taking the steps above, business owners should have a storm plan in place which ensures the safety of all workers and has a clear plan for maintaining contact. Prepare for power cuts and check any back-up generators are in working order.

We know that isolated rural properties and those on the coast are generally most at risk from storm damage, so we urge people in these areas to be especially vigilant.

As ever, NFU Mutual's loss adjusters and network of Agents will be ready to assist customers and move claims along, so have your insurer's details handy and don't delay in making a claim. NFU Mutual can pay some smaller claims immediately, so it might be you can start arranging repairs straight away.

NFU Mutual’s storm resilience guide

Make sure all doors and windows can be securely closed.
Prepare for power cuts: Have torches and batteries to hand and make sure any generators are ready to use if required. If you are using candles, make sure you use them safely and extinguish when leaving the room, and make sure nothing hangs over the candles.
Inspect your property and make repairs to things like loose fence panels or gates.
Make sure gutters are not leaking and are clear of leaves and other debris.
Have a space to put loose outdoor furniture like garden chairs and trampolines. If you do not have an indoor space in which to put them, ensure you have a means of tying down or otherwise securing the furniture.
Safely check that tiles, slates and roofing sheets are in place, securing any that are not.
Inspect trees on your property, removing loose or overhanging branches which may cause damage to your or others’ property in a storm.
In case of heavy rain, repair or unblock any faulty drains.
If you have a garage, clear a space for your vehicle in the event of a storm. If you do not have a garage, plan where you can park vehicle during a storm – this should be away from any walls, fences or branches which could fall and damage the vehicle.
Protect and lag water pipes in vulnerable areas and know where the water supply is so that you can turn it off in the event of burst pipes.
Stay alert for Met Office weather warnings in your area.
Have your insurer’s emergency helpline number available.

Additional advice for business owners
In addition to the above, business owners can:
Ensure you have emergency contact details for employees to maintain contact during an extreme weather event.
If you have company vehicles, make sure these are parked away from walls, fences or branches which could damage the vehicles.
Make sure outdoor signage or displays can be secured or brought inside.
Ensure you have adequate signage warning customers of things like wet floors that may be more common during extreme weather.
Prepare an emergency evacuation route in the event of unexpectedly severe weather.
Ensure central heating will come on during freezing weather to avoid frozen pipes, and consider procuring sandbags to protect your business in the event of a flood.
Make sure you have a way of communicating closures with customers.
Consider transport routes to the business and whether traveling will be safe and practical.

While driving
Drive slowly and steadily and leave larger gaps between vehicles. Wet conditions can increase stopping distances by ten times.
In windy weather, leave plenty of room when passing other road users, particularly vulnerable road users like walkers, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Avoid braking suddenly, slowing down gently before corners and junctions.
Accelerate slowly, keeping revs low.