Millions of UK homes 'at risk of climate flooding'

Millions more homes in England, Scotland and Wales face devastating floods and some towns may have to be abandoned as climate breakdown makes many areas uninsurable, a Guardian investigation has found.

- Exclusive Matthew Taylor Helena Horton

Analysis from the insurance industry seen by the Guardian reveals the extent of concern in the sector, with bosses warning that swaths of housing and commercial property in densely populated areas will be at greater risk. Separately, experts have said that some towns may need to be abandoned as homes and businesses struggle to get insurance in areas repeatedly battered by storms and rising sea levels.

Densely populated areas including London, Manchester and parts of northeast England, will probably be worst hit. Experts also say London's flood defences need to be updated urgently to protect the capital.

"The findings are stark," said Jason Storah, the chief executive for UK & Ireland general insurance at Aviva, which published the analysis.

"Millions more properties will be at risk from flooding, with rising temperatures, increased urbanisation and inadequate drainage." Aviva's report highlights growing concern within the insurance industry about the impact of severe weather driven by the climate crisis.

Storah said: "We are not talking about this because we are waving a flag about climate or sustainability - it's nothing to do with that, our business is totally correlated with what happens in the environment... we are in this and we cannot avoid it." Aviva analysed every parliamentary constituency in England, Scotland and Wales to assess how vulnerable they were to flooding.