The severe winter in North America points to increased storm activity in Europe, Impact Forecasting warns in its global catastrophe report for last month.

North America can be a “point of origin” for many winter events, according to the Aon Benfield subsidiary.

The report says the polar vortex, which sends a large pocket of cold air down from the North Pole, affected much of the US last month and caused economic losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars, with insurance losses still being counted.

At least 29 people died in four separate winter weather episodes.

Impact Forecasting also rates the Brisbane hailstorm as a major event, with the Insurance Council of Australia estimating insured losses of almost $500 million.

For the year to October 31, the largest economic loss events relate to storms and flooding in the US, with the largest loss of $US4 billion-plus ($4.77 billion) from drought in the country’s west.