Weather damage claims in Q4 2013 are worst for a decade - Deloitte

Weather damage claims in the last three months of 2013 were the worst in any fourth quarter for a decade, according to Deloitte.

Nearly 200,000 weather damage insurance claims for property were reported in the three months to December 2013.

This figure was more than twice the number of the 89,000 claims reported in Q4 2012.

UK weather was relatively benign in the first nine months of 2013 with relatively few storms and floods until the St Jude’s storm in October.

Deloitte insurance partner James Rakow said: “These figures highlight the volatility of weather damage claims.

“Widespread storms and floods in the final three months of 2013 generated 198,000 insurance claims, which is the highest number of weather-related fourth-quarter claims in the past 10 years.”

Rakow adds the storms and heavy rain in January are also likely to result in the highest number of first-quarter claims since the storms of 1990.