Severe thunderstorms and hail sweep across Switzerland – Insurer AXA reports numerous damages

Meteorologists explained that the cold front had moved quickly from west to east, carrying large amounts of moisture. Such summer thunderstorm situations with hail are not uncommon in Switzerland, but in some summers they occur in clusters. Authorities urged residents in affected municipalities to report fallen branches and to temporarily seal damaged roofs.

Operations and damages in the cantons

Fire brigades and civil protection organizations were deployed in several cantons. In Solothurn and Schaffhausen, basements were pumped out and toppled trees cleared from roads. According to initial findings, no one was injured, although in some cases considerable property damage was caused to residential buildings, vehicles, and agricultural crops.

Agriculture also reported impacts: in fruit- and vegetable-growing areas, hail caused severe damage in some cases. Individual farms spoke of total losses for sensitive crops. Industry representatives pointed out that harvest losses of this kind can usually only be quantified with a delay.

AXA processes damage reports

AXA announced that it would process damage reports swiftly and reinforce its claims adjusters in the affected regions. Customers with damage to vehicles or roofs were asked to report the damage online or by phone so that an assessment could be carried out as quickly as possible.

Insurance experts pointed out that hail damage in Switzerland has tended to increase in recent years. More frequent severe weather events have led to higher damage totals for buildings and motor vehicles. The industry expects that this year's severe weather season is not yet over.

Outlook: Weather calms down for now

For the coming days, the weather services forecast a temporary calming. Isolated showers remain possible, but widespread severe weather like Friday morning's is not expected initially. Observers stress that the final damage assessment of the event will only be estimable in the coming days.