The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) says a quarter of bushfire home claims have been closed, while total losses have climbed to $1.989 billion.

Claims continue to be received, with the number lodged from the November-declared catastrophe rising to around 27,000 as of February 24. That compares with 23,362 at February 12.

“Resources from all over the country, and in some cases from overseas have been deployed to work through claims and deliver support to those who have lost everything in these fires,” Head of Risk and Operations Karl Sullivan says on his LinkedIn page.

Insurers are working closely with members of the National Insurance Brokers Association and Australasian Institute of Chartered Loss Adjusters to help people and businesses get back on their feet, he says.

“There is much to be done, but we are off to a good start.”

ICA has rejected further criticism by Choice CEO Alan Kirkland in an article yesterday over bushfire cover in home and contents policies.

Choice has called for a standard definition and says some policies specify damage must be caused by flames and exclude issues caused by smoke or extreme heat. ICA has said no concerns as suggested by Choice have been raised with it, and the consumer group has not clarified real-world experience.

“We need to be able to rely upon more from our insurers than a 'just trust us' approach,” Mr Kirkland said.

“While in these current circumstances insurance companies may play nice, people living in bushfire-affected communities want the certainty that comes with a clear policy that covers them for fire - no ifs and buts.”

ICA spokesman Campbell Fuller says the comments undermine the consumer group’s credibility and are “unnecessary and unjustified scaremongering” that will add to the emotional burden being shouldered by bushfire-affected households.

“If Choice were genuinely concerned about insurance, it would join the Insurance Council and other evidence-driven organisations in their efforts to encourage government investments in mitigation and resilience, and the removal of punitive taxes and levies on insurance products,” he told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“It would also seek to engage with industry instead of indulging in self-aggrandising campaigns.”

The past summer is likely to rank among the three warmest on record for Australia, with only a few days to go before the end of February, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

The arrival of the monsoon in the north has brought rainfall over the country’s east, helping to extinguish bushfires, but many inland regions still need to see sustained rains to relieve drought.

“Although the extra moisture and cloud moderated temperatures compared to the record warm December, January and February will still rank among the ten warmest on record for the country as a whole,” Climatologist Andrew Watkins says.

Daytime and overnight temperatures are likely to be above average for most of the country in autumn, but there is no clear temperature signal further south, a bureau outlook today says.

Dr Watkins says some parts of the north may have a drier end to their wet season and parts of southern and south-eastern Australia are showing a slightly increased chance of above average rainfall in the coming three months, particularly in March.

International models analysed by the bureau are showing climate drivers in the Pacific and Indian Ocean remaining neutral in the coming months.

“By winter, we will have an even clearer indication if this will change, and hence what the weather will look like for the rest of 2020,” Dr Watkins said.