New Zealand extreme weather claims hit $26.08m in July

Three extreme weather events triggered 6,266 claims for the month.

Extreme weather events in July triggered 6,266 claims, totalling $26.08m (NZ$43.7m), according to the claims data released by the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ).

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“Extreme weather continues to hit Aotearoa New Zealand’s communities hard. We must act now to increase resilience and so lessen the impact of climate change on our way of life. This is not just about those things typically covered by general insurance such as our homes, vehicles and businesses. We also need to protect our infrastructure, environment and general way of life which is all too easily disrupted by climate-driven extreme weather events,” ICNZ Chief Executive, Tim Grafton said.

The extreme weather claims in July bring the total for 2022 to $146.21m (NZ$245), more than half of the record-breaking $193.35m (NZ$324m) in all of 2021. Claims data for August extreme weather-related claims will be released at the end of September.