The Met Office has issued a warning as Hurricane Nigel is set to cause havoc across the UK in the coming days. Increased rainfall and strong winds are expected as the hurricane makes it way over from the Atlantic. Flood warnings are already in place across Northern England and Wales after 15-20mm of rain fell within an hour in the midst of Hurricane Lee. The Met Office has predicted 150mm of rain will fall in some areas.
There is a yellow weather warning in place today for many parts of South-East England.
Hurricane Nigel is currently heading to the UK and is expected to arrive on Friday 22nd September. Although it is thought the storm will have significantly weakened by the time it crosses the Atlantic, the country will still see heavy rain and high winds over the next few days.
With adverse weather, comes many difficulties. The main concerns, outside of risk to life, are generally power outages, flooding and travel disruption. Those due to travel either within the UK or abroad over the weekend are likely to be concerned about the knock-on effect from Hurricane Nigel.
What if Hurricane Nigel disrupts my UK trip?
If your accommodation or the area you are due to travel to is affected by Hurricane Nigel, i.e., no power or it has been flooded, it is best to speak to your accommodation provider or booking agent directly. It may be possible to postpone your trip for a few days or re-book at a later date, but this will solely depend on the terms and conditions set at the time of booking.
It may also be possible to cancel your holiday altogether and receive a refund. Some booking companies such as Booking.com and Airbnb allow you to cancel for free up until a certain date. Again, this is down to the discretion of the booking agent or accommodation provider.
If you are unable to claim back any losses, and you have taken out a travel insurance policy for your trip, you will be able to submit a claim. If you have not taken out a policy for this trip, but have an annual multi-trip policy in place, your UK trip may be covered under that. Depending on the policy you have bought, you may be able to claim back any non-refundable pre-paid costs if your accommodation is no longer able to host your trip.
It is important to note, you will not be covered if you decide you no longer wish to travel due to the weather (as this is classed as disinclination to travel).
What if my flight is cancelled due to Hurricane Nigel?
Occasionally, airlines are forced to cancel flights due to adverse weather. In this instance, it is the airlines responsibility to re-book passengers onto the next available flight. If the flight is not until the next day, some airlines will provide accommodation – and if a new flight is not available within 24 hours of your original travel time, you may be offered alternative transport including flying with a different airline.
Compensation will be offered at the discretion of the airline and you should check the terms and conditions for the airline you are travelling with.
If you have booked through a travel agent or tour operator, you will need to contact them directly to understand the next steps.
It is unlikely that your travel insurance will be able to help in this scenario as it falls to the tour operator, travel agent or airline to re-imburse its customers or provide an alternative mode of transport. Some travel insurance policies may offer cover for adverse weather, but this is usually available as an ‘add on’ or ‘extension’ which would have needed to have been purchased before Hurricane Nigel was announced. To understand the cover available under your travel insurance policy, we advise that you check the policy wordings or speak with your travel insurance provider directly.
What if I miss my flight due to Hurricane Nigel?
Traffic delays caused by adverse weather are inevitable, however it is important to bear in mind that missed departure due to traffic will not be covered by your travel insurance provider. Therefore, it is advised to allow plenty of time to travel and check routes before setting off.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch at hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk and a member of the team will gladly help.