NRMA Insurance received 19,600 claims during summer for wild weather damage to homes and vehicles, the highest seasonal claim number since autumn 2022.

Storms and hail were behind more than 85% of claims, the latest Wild Weather Tracker says.

Almost half of Australians experienced wild summer weather amid record heatwaves, intense storms and slow-moving cyclones.

Damage to homes made up 13,817 of NRMA Insurance summer claims, with 62% of all home claims the result of severe weather as hot and humid conditions led to heavy downpours and hailstorms across much of the country.  

Autumn may bring thunderstorms with large hail, heavy rain and damaging winds to the eastern seaboard, NRMA Insurance meteorologist Zac Segger says, with elevated risk in southeast Queensland, eastern NSW and eastern Victoria.

"Wild weather can arise with little warning and be incredibly destructive in just a few minutes,” he said. 

Damaging summer events included Cyclone Jasper in December, Christmas and New Year storms that stuck Queensland, NSW and Victoria, Cyclone Kirrily in late January, heatwaves and bushfires in WA. Perth had its third-warmest summer on record.

NRMA Insurance EM Claims Natalie Major says a survey of 3500 Australians in February found only 40% took steps to prepare their households for extreme weather in the past season.

“Now is the time to clear debris from your yard and roof, clean out your gutters so water can flow freely, trim back overgrown trees and carry out any necessary repairs and maintenance work on your house,” she said.

NRMA Insurance wild weather claims in NSW numbered 11,213 in summer, up from 3200 in spring. It says 59% of all home claims across the state were due to wild weather, with the Hunter Valley, Central West, and Baulkham Hills in Sydney and Hawkesbury the hardest hit regions.

In Queensland, there were 5110 wild weather claims, up from 383 in spring. The Gold Coast was the hardest hit region, accounting for 51% of all claims, followed by Logan-Beaudesert and Wide Bay.

In the ACT, home and motor claims for severe weather totalled 1954, up from 188 in spring.