Wet weather is not something most of us want to see. But without it, residential properties are more at risk of subsidence, according to an expert.

Kevin Williams, head of subsidence at Cunningham Lindsey, a major provider of claims management services to the insurance market, is concerned that the UK has just seen the driest six month period for 20 year, as well as the warmest month of March ever in the south east of the country.

“Looking at previous subsidence event years, a dry winter and spring has consistently been the key factor, as the weather patterns that followed were invariably mixed,” said Williams.

These very dry ground conditions at the start of the year are a clear indication that we could see an increase in subsidence claims in the months ahead, particularly if we have a dry summer.

The long-range UK summer weather forecast has been released and it reveals Britain is set for a scorcher with three months of roasting sunshine on the way, and that spells bad news for some homeowners, including property investors, who own property in a high-risk subsidence area.

Williams added: “If it [the weather] continues to be warm and dry into the summer, then it won’t be long before we begin to see an upturn in subsidence claims. If it turns cold and wet – all bets are off.

“At this moment in time, subsidence claim numbers could go either way, but we have a robust plan in place to cope with any potential increase and we’ll continue to monitor the weather forecasts carefully over the coming months.”