Londoners find ‘horrendous’ cracks in their homes after successive heatwaves
London homeowners are reporting record levels of subsidence damage as successive heatwaves cause clay soil to shrink and destabilize building foundations. Insurance claims for these structural issues have reached record highs, with experts warning that climate change will likely make this a recurring problem.
Why it matters
This trend illustrates the tangible, costly impacts of climate change on urban infrastructure and the insurance industry.
London homes face growing subsidence risks as repeated heat waves dry out clay soil. Photo / Getty Images
Londoners are facing historic levels of subsidence risk after five successive heatwaves dried out the clay soil on which much of the city is built.
Insurance claims tied to subsidence – a phenomenon associated with bouts of hot, dry weather that shrink the soil and destabilise the foundations on which buildings stand – hit a record last quarter, according to data provided by the Association of British Insurers. On average, households claimed £20,000 ($45,691) for the risk, more than in any previous quarter and a 15% jump from the same period in 2025, the ABI said.
Laura Hughes, head of general insurance at the ABI, says the upward trend is likely to continue. “We expect to see more subsidence cases because of the hot weather.”
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