Zurich-based catastrophe insurance data provider PERILS has released its third industry loss estimate for severe convective storms (SCS) on Australia’s east coast in late October 2025, putting losses at A$1.502 billion.
The event affected Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria between October 26 and November 1, 2025.
Eastern Australia experienced a prolonged period of severe convective storm activity, with the greater Brisbane area in southeastern Queensland being the worst hit on October 26. Over the following days, southeast Queensland and New South Wales were each affected by milder storm activity, causing additional damage.
PERILS’s estimate of tertiary sector losses is A$1.502 billion, slightly lower than its previous estimate of A$1.512 billion released three months after the incident, but higher than its preliminary estimate of A$1.108 billion released six weeks after the incident.
The damage data provides detailed information on property and motor hull losses by zip code and is further divided into residential and commercial lines.
Personal line property losses accounted for 61% of total property losses, commercial line property losses accounted for 25%, and motor vehicle losses accounted for 14%. The event mainly affected Queensland (accounting for 94% of total industry losses) and New South Wales (5%).
PERILS will provide an updated loss estimate for the event on November 2, 2026, 12 months after the event end date.
Darryl Pidcock, PERILS Asia Pacific and Network Director, commented: “This was the first of two severe convective storms to affect the region in a month, causing more than $4 billion in insured losses. This report, released six months after the event, includes highly detailed hail intensity information at postcode level. Physical intensity and PERILS Industry Exposure Combined, the data provides a wealth of information and insights into the vulnerabilities of different business lines, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of severe convective storms on these exposed areas. “