Properties in Northern England, the Midlands and Central Wales have all suffered recent damage from heavy early summer rains.

But homeowners in these and other vulnerable regions can take precautionary measures to protect their homes, underlined Vicky Emmott, senior head of underwriting at Halifax.

Sandbags propped up behind doors and windows absorb flood waters while furniture, especially valuable items, should be transferred upstairs, above the water level.

Homeowners should also make sure they switch off gas, water and electricity at the mains.

With five million people in the UK living in flood risk areas, the risks are far from negligible, Ms Emmott emphasised, while the risk of flooding has trebled in the last three years.

But salvaging your home after flooding is far from a lost cause, she stressed.

Ventilating your property to dry it out as quickly as possible will minimise the long-term damage.

The Environment Agency has issued countrywide flood warnings across the UK for the weekend, as downpours which have caused train service cancellations move north.

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