Businesses and homeowners are being urged to act now and protect their properties - and themselves - from Storm Agnes which is forecast to hit most of the UK this week.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for 80mph winds for much of the country from Wednesday at 10am right through to 7am on Thursday, and has warned there is possible ‘danger to life’.

The warning, which stretches from the south west of England up to Scotland, predicts a chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris, damage to buildings and power cuts as a result of Storm Agnes.

To minimise the potential damage, Stuart Torrance, the Claims Manager at independent insurance brokers, H&H Insurance Brokers, is urging the UK to take precautions ahead of the disruptive weather.

Stuart said: “The Met Office’s weather warnings aren’t something to be taken lightly, and we have been told to expect significant stormy weather later this week. My advice is to heed the warning and start preparing for the strong winds to ensure any damage to your home or business - or even yourself - is minimal."

“Carrying out essential maintenance around your property is vitally important so make sure any loose fence panels or roof tiles are fixed, overhanging or loose tree branches are removed, garden furniture or trampolines are secured to prevent them from blowing away, and all vehicles are parked securely and away from fences, walls or trees which could fall on them."

“A common disruption caused by stormy weather is the loss of power to the home so I would highly recommend that people have key items such as a working torch, important documents and any medicines to hand, and make sure mobile phones are fully charged to contact anybody in an emergency with landline phone lines likely to be down.”

To those unfortunate enough to experience storm damage, Stuart is also providing advice on ways they can gather evidence for any insurance claim they need to make.

“To make the process of making a claim easier, your insurance broker will be on hand to assist throughout so it is important to report any damage caused to them as soon as possible,” said Stuart.

“Gather together all supporting information for the claim once it is safe to do so, including photographs and notes detailing the extent of the damage."

“Providing your insurance broker with this level of detail will ensure your claim can be handled quickly and it takes that extra level of stress away from you after such an unsettling period.”

H&H Insurance Brokers operates across the UK with offices in the North West, North East, Yorkshire, Wales and the Scottish Borders, and specialises in business insurance.