Homes crack as London heatwaves trigger record subsidence claims

Londoners are facing historic levels of subsidence risk after five successive heatwaves dried out the clay soil on which much of the British capital 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 (ABI). On average, households claimed £20,000 (US$27,200) for the risk,...