SYDNEY - A new report has estimated that 47 per cent of Australians were hit by wild weather conditions in summer, with record heatwaves, intense storms, and cyclones sweeping through the country during the season, reported Xinhua.
In the latest edition of the Wild Weather Tracker report released on Tuesday, a research team from NRMA Insurance reported that the company received 19,600 claims for wild weather damage to homes and vehicles in the 2023-24 summer, making it the worst season for home damages since autumn in 2022.
Damage to homes accounted for the lion's share of claims over summer, as 62 per cent of all home claims stemmed from severe weather. The index saw a 55 per cent increase compared to the 2022-23 summer. Storm and hail were the leading causes of damage, followed by cyclone and flood.
In particular, Queensland was battered by a slew of damaging weathers, such as ex-tropical cyclones Jasper and Kirrily, as well as storms during the Christmas-New Year holidays.
Among those who experienced extreme weather, about 37 per cent said it was not what they were expecting or had prepared for.
"Since late November, we have experienced a series of severe weather events right along the East Coast that caused significant damage," said NRMA Insurance Executive Manager for Claims Natalie Major.
"It's concerning that fewer than half (40 per cent) of Australians took steps to prepare their households for extreme weather in the past season. It is important to take steps to prepare year-round before severe weather strikes," Major added. - BERNAMA-XINHUA