Insured losses from Europe’s storm Ciarán up to €1.3bn: Verisk

European storm Ciarán is estimated to have caused insured losses of between €800m and €1.3bn, according to initial estimates from Verisk. Ciarán hit the UK and the Channel Islands with record low pressure before heading to France, where the bulk of the losses are expected to fall.

Italy also saw flooding, with storm Domingos following just days after, which could add to the final bill, Verisk said. Verisk’s estimate excludes losses from storm Domingos, which also affected areas of France, Spain and Portugal, and losses from flooding.

“This flooding, along with the impacts in France and elsewhere from windstorm Domingos over the past weekend, may contribute losses to this event, which, depending on hours clauses, could be considered a single loss occurrence along with Ciarán’s wind impacts,” it said.

Verisk said damage from Ciarán was most pronounced in France, particularly Brest, and the Channel Islands. Jersey was “very hard hit”, with reports of a tornado caused by the storm and golf ball-sized hailstones causing damage to cars and buildings.

Aon Impact Forecasting said economic and insured losses from storm Ciarán, also known as Emir in mainland Europe, were likely to be “notable” – in the hundreds of millions of euros.