After a night of high winds, most people's first instinct is to look up at the roof from the garden and, if nothing looks obviously wrong, assume everything's fine. Unfortunately, a lot of storm damage isn't visible from ground level — and the damage that is invisible today is often what causes a leak two or three rainy weeks later.
What to check from the ground
Start with the obvious: are there tiles or slates missing, or lying in the garden or on the driveway? Look along the ridge line for anything that looks displaced or crooked. Check the guttering for sagging sections or a downpipe that's come away from the wall — high wind can rip fixings loose even when the guttering itself is undamaged.
Binoculars are genuinely useful here. A lot of the damage that matters — a lifted tile, a cracked ridge tile, flashing that's come loose around a chimney — is only visible from a slightly better angle than standing directly underneath.
Warning signs from inside the house
Check the loft if you have access. Look for damp patches on the underside of the roof felt, daylight coming through anywhere it shouldn't, or debris that's found its way in through a gap. Downstairs, keep an eye on ceilings and the tops of walls over the following week or two — a new stain, even a faint one, is worth investigating rather than watching to see if it gets worse.
When it's worth calling someone straight away
If you can see missing tiles, a section of roof that looks structurally different from the rest, or you've got an active leak, that's an emergency — not something to leave until the weekend. Our emergency storm damage repair service exists exactly for this: making a property safe and weathertight first, then coming back to complete the permanent repair once the immediate risk is dealt with.
If nothing looks obviously wrong but you'd rather have a professional confirm it, a roof survey — including drone photography for anything hard to see from the ground — is a straightforward way to get peace of mind without anyone needing to get on a ladder.