As heavy rain and floods batter the UK, Northern Ireland car insurance customers are being reminded that more than their homes are at risk of extreme weather.

To ward off the possibility of having to make an expensive car insurance claim, motoring experts at esure are advising drivers in Northern Ireland and the wider UK to avoid going near fords or puddles if they can't be sure they're a safe depth. They note that water damage to a car over the age of five "could easily make it a write-off".

According to the car insurance provider, more than £35 million was paid out by insurers after the 2007 floods that hit Northern Ireland, England and beyond. Most cars had either been caught in flood waters or abandoned by drivers who had tried to cross flooded roads or fords.

Mike Pickard, esure's head of risk and underwriting, further points out that water damage can take months to show up as corrosion causes mechanical parts to fail.

"Many motorists actually drive their cars into trouble by trying to cross water and misjudge its depth – when they should've just turned off the engine and waited for help," he concludes.