Insurers could be faced with thousands of homeowners claiming for flooding and subsidence damage at the same time, said home insurer Esure.
It said the combination of the dry summer in 2003 and the recent deluge of rainfall and snowmelt could combine to produce a flood of claims.
Esure head of home insurance, Nikki Sellers, said: "It is very rare for insurers to experience claims for virtually opposite weather related incidents in the same 6-month period. However this month we are seeing an increasing number of homeowners who are still suffering from subsidence lodging a flash flood claim too.
"The UK is experiencing changes in its seasonal weather patterns and this will impact on the insurance industry. We are already seeing a situation where insurers are relying more and more on meteorological predictions to calculate future risk ratings."
Esure said it also expected the number of `heave' claims, where dried clay sub-soil expands as it absorbs water from heavy rainfall leading to structural damage to buildings. It predicted the first heave claims would start to come in through in the next few weeks.
