Low-pressure system ‘Filomena’ brought the wintriest conditions for decades to Spain in January, with severe snowfall causing multi-billion-dollar economic losses, Aon’s latest edition of its monthly Global Catastrophe Recap report says.

Filomena traversed Spain and caused severe snowfall, while a subsequent cold spell sent temperatures plummeting.

The minimum temperature at Molina de Aragón, around 200 kilometres north east of Madrid, was minus 25 degrees Celsius on January 12 - Spain’s coldest temperature in 20 years.

Last month also saw tropical cyclone Imogen making landfall near Queensland’s Karumba town on January 3, causing damage from flood and wind in northeastern parts of Australia estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. Imogen was the first named storm of the 2020/21 Australian region cyclone season.

In Indonesia, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on January 14 in West Sulawesi caused 108 fatalities and 3369 injuries.

Analyst Michal Lörinc said the European windstorm season has been relatively calm so far compared with peak loss years, though the cold temperatures brought by storm Filomena were costly.

“Winter weather is not often a primary driver of annual financial losses but the level of direct and indirect disruption due to extreme freeze or excessive snowfall can lead to notable commercial and supply chain challenges,” he said.

Total costs of the disaster in Madrid, including business interruption and property damage, were initially estimated at nearly €1.8 billion ($2.82 billion) while insurance payments in the agricultural sector, along with flood-related property claims, were limited to the tens of millions of euro.

Heavy rain and snowfall in the first half of January resulted in notable regional flooding in Southeastern Europe, with parts of Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece most affected.

Heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland during the second half of January resulted in notable damage, with at least 17 people killed by avalanches throughout the country.

In an active stretch of cyclonic weather, storms Christoph and Hortense impacted parts of Western Europe on January 20-22 with strong winds and heavy rain. Significant flood-related losses were registered in England and Wales and there were wind-related losses in France, Germany and Benelux.

An earthquake swarm affected Granada in southern Spain. The national insurance consortium received more than 3400 claims as of February 3, mostly residential.

In the US, intense wind and rain which resulted in total economic losses estimated at $US525 million ($677.51 million), amid widespread power outages, flash flooding, landslides, downed trees and property damage. About half was covered by insurance.

An unseasonably strong high wind event impacted California, with maximum gusts at higher elevations topping 90 miles (145 kilometres) per hour. Total losses were estimated at $US350 million ($451.69 million), with more than half covered by public and private insurers.