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Europe convective storms cause $2.19bn insurance loss estimate
Catastrophe data firm PERILS pegged the July 13 to 19, 2026 storms as the largest single SCS loss in Europe in its event list, covering both property and motor lines.
A wave of severe convective storms that struck Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy from July 13 to July 19, 2026 is estimated to have produced a EUR 2.186 billion loss for the European insurance industry, according to catastrophe data aggregator PERILS AG.
PERILS said the event is already its largest loss from that peril in Europe and the biggest insurance industry loss estimate for any European catastrophe since the February 2022 European windstorms it tracks. The estimate is based on loss data collected from affected insurers and covers both property and motor lines.
PERILS attributed the outbreak to cooler air moving across the continent from the northeast and interacting with hot air from a European heatwave, which it said created conditions for convective storm cells to form. It reported large hail, high wind gusts, and extreme rainfall, with northern Germany hit first on July 13 and storms spreading southward through July 19.
The main damages described were property impacts from high winds and flying debris, vehicle and property damage from large hailstones, and flash flood related damage to cellars and basements. PERILS said these SCS-related damage types are broadly covered by insurance in Europe, helping explain the size of the loss estimate.