The monsoon-proofing checklist

The monsoon does not announce itself twice. The week before the first heavy rain is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy — an afternoon of checks that cost almost nothing and save the whole season.

Work from the top of the house down; that is the direction water travels. Here are thirty things to fix before the first cloudburst, grouped by where you will find them. Tick them off as you go — your progress is saved on this device — and do the round once, properly, so the house meets the rain the way it should: calm, and dry.