Europe counts cost of severe June thunderstorms

Several severe weather outbreaks impacted parts of Central Europe in June; the most affected countries were Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Hungary, according to Aon’s Impact Forecasting. Total economic losses were likely to exceed $150 million. Additionally, widespread flooding in western Ukraine affected more than 22,000 structures.

Steve Bowen, director and meteorologist on the Impact Forecasting team at Aon, said, “The costs associated with the severe convective storm peril continue to account for a higher portion of insurance payouts on an annual basis. While the United States often drives most of these fiscal impacts due to hail, other areas such as Canada, Australia, Germany, and France are frequent to the risk.”

Locally severe thunderstorms affected parts of Central Europe from June 13-15. Damage resulted from intense rainfall, strong winds, large hail, and lightning strikes. The most affected countries were Germany, the Czech Republic, and Hungary; local insurers collectively expected nearly 20,000 weather-related insurance claims. Total economic losses were likely to approach or exceed $100 million.

Widespread flooding affected parts of Western Ukraine following days of heavy rains from June 22-29. IvanoFrankivsk was the most affected region, with additional damage cited in Chernivtsi, Lviv and Ternopil. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that more than 14,000 homes and 7,000 basements were flooded. Regional infrastructure suffered heavy losses, as the agency reported 95 bridges destroyed, along with approximately 278 kilometers (173 miles) of road sections. Economic losses were preliminarily estimated at several billion UAH.

Widespread storm-related damage also hit parts of southern and eastern Poland; economic losses in the country were under assessment. Notable flooding occurred in the border region of Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 22-23. Economic losses were preliminarily estimated at RSD3.0 billion ($28 million). 

Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms affected parts of Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Switzerland from June 26-29 with heavy rain, strong winds, and large hail causing moderate property, infrastructural, and agricultural losses. Among the worst affected areas was Steiermark in Austria. Damage costs were expected to reach into the tens of millions EUR.