Calendar of natural events: Most storms in July
The weather in Switzerland in recent weeks has not exactly been kind: severe storms and flooding in some places have not only kept the population and emergency services on their toes - the losses for insurers have also run into millions. Allianz Suisse alone expects the hailstorm "Elvira" at the end of May and the storm "Friederike" at the beginning of June to result in around 3,000 claims and a total loss of around CHF 10 million.
The cantons of Berne, Ticino and Zurich are particularly affected by natural events.
Torrential rain, hailstones the size of tennis balls, violent storms, landslides: due to its topographical location, Switzerland is repeatedly exposed to severe storms. The resulting damage can be immense, as the Allianz Suisse natural hazard calendar shows. Hail and flooding in particular have caused the greatest damage in the last ten years - and this was mainly in June and July.
Although the extent of the damage was nowhere near as great as in many parts of Germany, France or Austria, after the storm is before the next storm in Switzerland too. This is because the climate in Switzerland is strongly influenced by the Alps, the most important weather divide in Central Europe, with large climatic differences in a small area. This results in severe thunderstorms with hailstones the size of tennis balls, torrential rain and heavy storms, which often leave behind a picture of devastation, particularly in the summer months.
In a ten-year comparison, June 2016 does not even stand out that much, although it is considered one of the wettest months since weather records began. This is shown by the natural hazard calendar of Allianz Suisse, for which the claims figures of the past ten years were analyzed.
Hailstorms and floods most expensive
Since 2006, Allianz Suisse has recorded around 200,000 claims caused by natural events such as hail, floods, storms, lightning, avalanches and earthquakes, according to claims statistics. The total amount of damage was around 640 million Swiss francs, almost exactly half of which was caused by hailstorms (around 320 million Swiss francs in 96,000 claims), while floods accounted for around 170 million Swiss francs in 42,000 claims. Storm (around 55 million Swiss francs in 17,000 claims) and lightning (around 32 million Swiss francs in 21,000 claims) played the most important roles. At the bottom of the ranking are earthquake losses with a loss expenditure of 120,000 francs in 51 claims over the past ten years.
And a glance at the calendar reveals that the years 2009 and 2013 in particular were the most loss-intensive for Allianz Suisse in a ten-year comparison - with insured losses of more than CHF 85 million in each case. "Due to global warming, the humidity in the atmosphere is increasing - which is why we expect a further increase in severe storms in the future," explains Markus Deplazes, Head of Claims at Allianz Suisse.
More than a third of the natural events occur in July alone, with Ticino and the canton of Berne most frequently affected These severe storms occur most frequently when Mr. and Mrs. Swiss would least wish it - in the summer months of June and July, which account for more than half of the natural events (around 110,000). And for those who are already looking forward to a refreshing dip in the lake at midsummer temperatures: the probability of a storm is greatest in July due to the numerous heat storms - with a total of 70,000 natural events, July occupies the lonely top spot at Allianz Suisse.
Incidentally, the months with the lowest number of claims due to natural events in a long-term comparison are November (approx. 4,700 claims), February (approx. 6,200 claims) and October (approx. 6,500 claims). And what the claims statistics also reveal: most claims due to natural events are reported to Allianz Suisse from the cantons of Berne and Ticino (approx. 25,000 claims each), followed by Zurich (approx. 23,000 claims). From an insurer's point of view, the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden brings up the rear in this cantonal ranking, with only 86 claims since 2006 - although with around 16,000 inhabitants, it is also the least populous canton in Switzerland.
