Christian insurers Ecclesiastical are urging churches to take steps to protect their buildings now before the winter sets in.

As the summer winds down and the Met Office releases its new list of storm names for 2022/23, Ecclesiastical has issued practical advice for churches to help prevent damage to their buildings this winter.

Jo Whyman, risk management director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: "The storm name announcement by the Met Office always generates a lot of interest and as an insurer we are no different.

"We know the impact storms can have on our customers and this is a timely reminder for them to take steps to prepare for the winter."

The warning comes after some churches were badly affected by storms and severe weather last winter, leading to costly repairs.

St Thomas' Church, in Wells, is one church that faced a hefty bill after its spire was knocked down during Storm Eunice in February. Repairs ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds and took six months to complete.

Suggested measures from Ecclesiastical include putting a recovery plan in place that focuses on minimising risk to church buildings in the event of flooding, high winds and other severe weather events.

Churches are being advised to use the autumn to trim back bushes and trees that could damage windows in high winds, and make sure that steeples, pinnacles and the roof - areas more likely to bear the brunt of a storm - are all in good repair.

"Some of the steps customers can take include carrying out simple visual checks of the property to identify issues such as overgrown vegetation, loose roof materials, damaged guttering, or blocked rainwater gullies and allow simple maintenance measures to be put in place," said Whyman.

"Similarly, checking of drains and gullies in the land surrounding your buildings, such as access roads and car parks, is key to identifying potential flooding risks in advance of any storm conditions.

"Signing up to receive the latest alerts from the Met Office or the Environment Agency can also help to prepare for the worst.

"As ever, our expert risk teams are on hand to deal with any risk management queries customers may have – while our dedicated team of claims handlers will be able to support them if they are affected by storms this winter."