The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😜
Main Topic: UK Building Subsidence Claims Surge After Hottest Summer on Record
Dear Diary. This is a facet of the climate crisis that I not broached on this site. Apparently when it gets very hot, foundations can shift because of ground subsidence causing thousands of dollars and pounds for repairs.
Heatwave-Induced Home Foundation Subsidence in the U.S.
Extreme heatwaves and prolonged dry spells are triggering a “subsidence super-event” in the U.S., with experts warning of the largest number of foundation-related claims in over 30 years us.headtopics.com. The combination of record-breaking summer temperatures and drought conditions is causing soil—especially clay-rich soils—to shrink dramatically, leading to uneven settling and structural damage.
How Heatwaves Cause Subsidence
- Soil shrinkage: Clay soils can shrink by up to 10% during severe drought, creating gaps between the soil and a home’s foundation
climatecosmos.com.
- Uneven settling: This shrinkage forces the foundation to move, causing cracks in walls, slabs, and load-bearing structures.
- Delayed damage: The effects often don’t appear until cooler weather returns, when the soil rehydrates and expands, adding stress to already weakened foundations
Why It’s a Major Risk Now
- Record heat and dryness: The 2026 summer saw unprecedented heatwaves and prolonged dry weather, ideal conditions for subsidence
us.headtopics.com.
- Insurance impact: Insurers like Aviva are warning of a surge in claims, with some homeowners facing tens of thousands of pounds in reduced property value
- Widespread vulnerability: About 25% of U.S. homes are built on clay soils, making them especially at risk
- Signs of Subsidence
- Diagonal cracks around doors/windows
- Doors/windows that stick or are hard to close
- Sudden appearance of new cracks or gaps in walls or floors
The Institution of Structural Engineers
- Costs and Consequences
- Repair costs: Foundation bolsters can cost $40,000+; smaller fixes may be cheaper
- Property value loss: Subsidence can reduce a home’s value by up to 25%
- Mortgage issues: Lenders may refuse to finance until the problem is resolved
- What Homeowners Can Do
- Monitor for signs: Check for cracks, shifting doors/windows, or gaps in floors.
- Contact insurance: Work with your insurer and a qualified structural engineer or surveyor experienced in subsidence
- Preventative measures: Avoid overwatering trees near foundations, ensure proper drainage, and consider soil stabilization if in a high-risk area.
- Bottom line: If you live in a clay-rich area and have experienced prolonged dry, hot summers, your home’s foundation is at heightened risk. Early detection and professional assessment are critical to preventing costly and irreversible damage.
A historic heatwave does more damage in the United Kingdom besides harming people due to the lack of air conditioning. Expect more building subsidence in the future as heat waves grow worse across Europe. Here are more details from the Guardian
UK subsidence claims surge after hottest summer on record | Insurance industry | The Guardian
UK subsidence claims surge after hottest summer on record
Insurers in England and Wales tell of busy August with one reporting near-140% jump in claims
A cottage affected by subsidence in Shropshire. The most vulnerable areas include London, Essex, Kent and a tranche of land from Oxford to the Wash. Photograph: David Bagnall/Alamy
Sat 5 Sep 2026
UK insurers are experiencing a surge in the number of homeowners making claims for subsidence after the hottest summer on record, with Hastings Direct reporting a near 140% jump to an all-time high for August.
Insurance firms have been overrun by calls and online queries, as well as a rise in claims during the five heatwaves that followed the warmest spring ever recorded in England and Wales.
Subsidence claims typically peak during late summer and autumn, but this year they jumped in number during the summer.
Millions of homes are at risk of subsidence because of the worsening climate crisis, the British Geological Survey has said.
As hotter, drier summers become more frequent, the ground under houses can shrink and drag down a property’s foundations. Older properties are more at risk. The most vulnerable areas for subsidence include London, Essex, Kent and a tranche of land from Oxford up to the Wash on England’s east coast, according to scientists.
Hastings Direct, which has 4.8 million home and motor insurance customers, said it had had a significant increase in subsidence claims over the summer and received a record number in August, almost 140% more than in the same month last year.
After two unusually dry summers, subsidence activity has increased significantly, the company said.
Hastings predicted the large volume of claims would continue into the autumn even though temperatures had returned to more normal levels and there had been some rainfall in recent weeks.
“We expect claim volumes to remain higher than normal through to around October unless sustained rainfall helps restore soil moisture levels,” the insurer added.
Signs of subsidence range from diagonal cracks around doors and windows that often widen over time; windows or doors that stick or will not close properly and uneven or sloping floors. Wallpaper creasing or rippling can also be a sign of subsidence, as well as damp.
The average subsidence claim in the UK hit a record £20,000 between April and June, more than £2,000 higher than a year earlier, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Insurers paid out £72m for domestic subsidence claims, up from £60m in the same period last year.
About £297m in total was paid out on claims in 2025, up 6% from the year before, and 89% higher than in 2022, the ABI said.
Charlie Inwood, the general insurance policy adviser at the ABI, said: “Following this summer’s hot weather, it’s likely we’ll see more subsidence claims over the coming months.”
Aviva, which completed a £3.7bn acquisition of its rival Direct Line in July, and dominates the UK home insurance market, has also reported subsidence claim numbers had increased in recent months. “This is likely to continue unless there is significant rainfall,” it said.
Amanda Blanc, the chief executive of Aviva, said last month that the company was reviewing the reserves it had set aside for subsidence claims, and would also look at its pricing models and exposure management. The insurer is also investigating what homeowners can do to prevent property damage from subsidence and flooding.
Small shrinkage and movement cracks were normal after hot dry weather, Aviva said, while diagonal cracks that were more than 2.5cm wide, roughly the diameter of a £1 coin, could be a sign of subsidence.
Axa, another home insurer, said it expected a “surge year” but could not say whether it would be a record year for subsidence claims.
Adam Holland, the head of retail underwriting, fraud and pricing governance at the French company’s UK arm, said: “The Met Office’s announcement about summer 2026 being the hottest on record in the UK puts the impact of climate change into sharp focus … and we expect to see an increase in weather-related property damage this year.”
Here are more “ET’s” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Here is More Climate News from Monday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)