PERILS, the independent Zurich-based provider of catastrophe insurance market data, has released its initial industry loss estimate for the severe convective storms (SCS) that affected France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy from 26 to 28 August 2026, placing losses at EUR 3,296 million.
The storms are also known as “SCS Raphaela”. From 26 to 28 August 2026, a cold front swept from west to east across France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, generating extensive SCS activity.
The cold front was associated with a low-pressure system named “Raphaela” by the Free University of Berlin. It interacted with exceptionally warm and humid air masses, leading to the formation of numerous SCS systems, including supercell storms. These are thunderstorms characterised by a persistent rotating updraft that can produce large hail, destructive winds and intense rainfall.
These systems began in western France during the evening of 26 August, impacted central and eastern France on 27 August, and affected Switzerland, southern Germany and northern Italy on 28 August.
Each country reported hailstones ranging from 4 to 8 cm in diameter. In France, the region around Besançon in the east was particularly badly affected. In Switzerland, a hail swath stretching from Lake Geneva in the west to Lake Constance in the northeast caused significant damage and also affected southern Germany. In Italy, the northern regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna were the most heavily affected, with hailstones of up to 13 cm in diameter recorded. The hailstorms were accompanied by very strong convective wind gusts and intense, short-duration precipitation, leading to flash flooding.
SCS Raphaela caused extensive property and vehicle damage, with the storm ranking among the largest catastrophe losses on record for the Swiss insurance industry. In France, Italy and Germany, industry losses were less exceptional and remained below the extreme levels experienced in recent years.
PERILS’ initial insured loss estimate is based on loss data collected from the affected insurers and covers the property and motor lines of business.
PERILS will provide an updated estimate of the market loss from SCS Raphaela on 28 November 2026, three months after the event’s end date.
Luzi Hitz, Product Manager at PERILS, commented, “The Raphaela storms are the second SCS event in Europe in 2026 exceeding EUR 2bn in industry losses. Like the event in mid-July, they originated out of the preceding heatwave which provided ample thermal energy and humidity to support SCS formation. Both events underscore the destructive potential of European summer weather transitions. A primary contributing factor is the everwarming atmosphere which generates increasing levels of ‘fuel’ for severe convective storms. As the climate looks unlikely to cool in the foreseeable future, the potential exists for multi-billion SCS events in Europe to become the new normal.”
