Losses from extratropical windstorm Ciaran, also known as Emir, are estimated at €1.889 billion ($3.07 billion), catastrophe insurance data firm Perils says in its first assessment of the event. 

The storm tracked eastwards along the English Channel before moving out over the North Sea, particularly affecting northern France, as well as the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands on November 1-2. 

Perils says the resulting losses to the insurance industry were typical for European windstorms, with a large number of smaller claims, stemming mostly from non-structural property damage, adding up to a significant total. 

Wind speeds were highest in Brittany and Normandy, as well as on the Channel Islands, and reached record levels not seen since the Great Storm of 1987. 

“The most extreme winds tracked over the English Channel and hence spared large population centres,” Perils CEO Christoph Oehy said. 

“Nevertheless, the loss to the insurance industry was considerable, with France leading the tally by a significant margin, followed by the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands.” 

Ciaran, which initially formed off the coast of Newfoundland, was followed by extratropical windstorm Domingos, also known as Fred. The smaller second windstorm didn’t exceed Perils’ reporting threshold of €300 million ($487 million). 

An updated estimate of market losses from Ciaran will be released on February 5, three months after the event.