PERILS raises storm Nils insured market loss estimate 31% to €767m

Catastrophe data aggregator PERILS has updated its industry loss estimate for extratropical windstorm Nils, also known as Ulrike, that battered the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions in southwest France in mid-February, lifting the total almost 31% to €767 million.

PERILS came out with its initial insurance industry loss estimate for this windstorm back in March, putting the total at €586 million.

With claims having continued to be filed, the total has risen meaningfully now, increasing by nearly 31% to €767 million for the second industry loss estimate.

PERILS noted that its loss estimate is based on data gathered from impacted insurers, including losses from property and motor lines of business.

Windstorm Nils was a very intense extratropical cyclone which impacted Southwest France from February 11th to 13th, 2026, bringing extreme winds and flooding to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions.

“Nils generated the largest event loss of the European windstorm season 2025/26, with wind losses causing the majority of the industry loss,” PERILS explained.

The catastrophe data aggregator also confirmed that it will provide an updated loss estimate for Nils on August 13th, 2026, six months after the event end date.

Luzi Hitz, Product Manager at PERILS, commented: “Storm Nils was a multi-hazard natural catastrophe which not only brought damaging winds and flooding to southwest France but also caused avalanches in the French Alps. While it challenged the civil protection services, the fact that there were only two fatalities demonstrates the effectiveness of their response.”

Hitz continued: “The European windstorm season 2025/26 witnessed only two events exceeding our loss capturing threshold of EUR 300m for any one country or EUR 500m for a Europewide event. Those were Goretti in January 2026, currently estimated at EUR 479 million, and Nils in February, currently estimated at EUR 767 million. As such this season is the second consecutive season with notably low European windstorm losses.”