Ophelia claims could cost NFU Mutual up to £10m

Insurer NFU Mutual is expecting to pay claims from ex-hurricane Ophelia of between £5m and £10m.

The insurer also said that its Ophelia claims bill could rise further as more bad weather could hit the UK later in the week, and the number of reported storm claims is likely to increase in the coming days as people assess the damage.

The storm, which hit Ireland on Monday and then moved on to the UK, has caused widespread damage and killed three people in Ireland.

NFU Mutual, one of the UK’s biggest insurers, insures more than 70% of UK farmers and thousands of rural homes and businesses.

NFU Mutual property claims manager Tom Simpson said: “Based on what we are hearing from our network of offices, the gale force winds across many parts of north western parts of the UK could be one of the worst in recent years.

“We’re expecting reports of damage to properties and cars from falling trees and slates and tiles blown off the roofs of homes and commercial buildings.”

NFU Mutual has launched its emergency claims plan to get help quickly to policyholders that need it. Simpson said: “Having a local presence means we’ve been able to react quickly and provide immediate assistance to families and businesses in all of the areas worst affected. We have teams of loss adjusters ready to assess the damage and arrange repairs as soon as the bad weather has subsided.”