Western and central European insurers incurred several hundred mn € in estimated losses after severe convective storms struck on June 30 and again on July 2–3, according to Aon.
With €100 mn equal to $117.4 mn, the losses resulted from large hail, damaging winds, and heavy rain that triggered flash floods and landslides.
Switzerland, Austria, and northern Italy were heavily impacted by the June 30 storms, Aon stated in its catastrophe report. Landslides and mudslides buried houses and forced evacuations in Tyrol, Austria.
The second round of storms in the first week of July caused significant losses in Benelux, Germany, and parts of Central Europe.
Hail up to 3.5 inches was reported in Emden, Germany, and wind gusts up to 75 mph were recorded in the Netherlands.
Aon reported that large hail on July 2–3 particularly damaged autos and crops, while winds toppled trees and damaged roofs.
Western Germany and the Netherlands were especially affected, with at least 127 damage reports in the Netherlands alone.
Since late June, extremely hot and sunny conditions from a heat dome have impacted much of Europe, with extreme heat warnings in parts of France, Germany, and Croatia.
Aon noted rapidly worsening drought conditions, increasing the risk of wildfires. Wildfires are already burning in Spain and Turkey.
Mediterranean Sea surface temperatures are widely nine degrees Fahrenheit above average, and large areas of the sea are setting record highs for this time of year.
Aon warned that these conditions may influence future weather patterns, potentially raising the risk of severe storms, heavy rainfall, and floods in the region through the rest of the year.
Globally, industry catastrophe losses in the first quarter are expected to meet or exceed $53 bn, mainly from the January wildfires in Los Angeles, Aon previously reported. However, in the United Kingdom and Europe, windstorm losses during the quarter remained notably below the century average.
