Cantons most affected by hail and lightning

AXA's claims statistics paint a clear picture of where the various kinds of damage have occurred most often over the last ten years: Ticino was worst hit by hail and lightning, Schwyz by flooding. However, all cantons are affected to some extent, with significant fluctuations from year to year. In terms of storms, the first half of this year was more or less in line with the long-term average across Switzerland as a whole.

This year's fourth heatwave has not only brought high temperatures, it has also increased the risk of storms in various parts of Switzerland. "We've already received one or two storm-related claims from the XY regions," says Michael Villiger, Head of Motor Vehicle Claims at AXA. AXA, Switzerland's biggest property insurer, registered around 11,000 claims for storm damage in the first six months of 2026. This is close to the long-term average for the first half of the year. "The storm season started relatively late this year after a quiet May. The hailstorm in Ticino on June 9 had a huge impact and is responsible for a large share of the cost of claims," explains Michael Villiger. The season is not over yet as it normally lasts until September, so there is still scope for storms to affect claims expenditure.

Over the past three decades, AXA's costs from storm damage to vehicles, buildings, household contents, and fixtures and fittings have averaged around CHF 115 million a year. The number and size of claims varies significantly from year to year. Last year was below average for storms, with AXA recording claims of CHF 72 million. This is a similar amount to 2019 (CHF 73 million) and 2020 (CHF 61 million), around half as much as in 2022 (CHF 142 million) and 2024 (CHF 130 million), and roughly a quarter of the figures from 2021 (CHF 291 million) and 2023 (CHF 240 million). "The differences are considerable and have a huge impact on our claims figures, but weather risks and their volatility over time across the different regions are part of our core business and thus factored into our long-term planning," says Stefan Müller, Head of Property Claims.

Storms occurring more suddenly and with increasing intensity

Weather data and claims statistics do not always correlate with each other. The same storm can be responsible for significantly more claims in some areas than in others, depending on how densely populated they are. Preventive measures also have an impact on the number of claims. "As a result, climate change is only reflected in our statistics to a limited extent. What we can see, however, is that storms have been happening more suddenly than they used to in recent years and have become much more intense: extreme gusts of wind, more heavy rainfall, often large hailstones – all of this sometimes highly localized," says Stefan Müller.

Hail damage a key factor

Not all regions of Switzerland are exposed to the same risks. AXA's claims statistics paint a clear picture of where the various causes of damage occurred most often. Hail damage to cars makes up the largest share of storm damage claims in terms of both number and cost. The cantons of Ticino, Jura, and Neuchâtel, together with Bern and Nidwalden, were most affected over the past ten years. "Severe hail events that damage lots of cars in a short space of time can have an especially large impact on the cost of claims," says Michael Villiger. Geneva, Thurgau, and Schaffhausen, meanwhile, recorded hardly any hail damage.

Frequent flooding in Schwyz

Isolated events carry a great deal of weight in the flooding statistics. The highest incidence of flood damage per insured household occurred in the canton of Schwyz over the past ten years, followed by Solothurn, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, and Aargau. The cantons of Nidwalden, Vaud, Basel-Land, Uri, and Graubünden remained largely free from flooding over the past decade. "Prevention has an especially strong influence with regard to flooding – flood relief tunnels, retention basins, raised dams, and the national flood risk map are all paying off," says Stefan Müller.

Lightning most common in Ticino

When it comes to lightning damage, one canton tops the list by a considerable margin: over the past ten years, the risk of damage due to lightning strikes in Ticino has been eight times higher than in the rest of Switzerland. AXA registers several hundred claims in the canton every year. Compared with the cantons of Basel-Land, Vaud, and Geneva, the risk was in fact more than 20 times higher. It is not hard to understand why. When warm, humid air from the Mediterranean moves northward and hits the Alps, it forms storm clouds with strong updrafts and downdrafts as well as high levels of electrical charge, which is discharged in the form of lightning.

Insurance cover for storm damage

These regional differences do not affect premiums for household contents, building or corporate property insurance because natural hazards insurance is regulated by law to ensure standard premiums and coverage nationwide. The insurers also operate a system of solidarity whereby they spread out losses among themselves to a certain extent via the natural perils pool. "This system is unique worldwide and guarantees a very high level of protection in the event of storms," explains Stefan Müller.

How to protect your property

If you take some precautions, you can minimize the risk of certain kinds of storm damage to your property. Apps are available that quickly send a push message whenever there is a weather warning in your location. If a storm with strong winds is on the way, you should make sure that movable items like grills and garden chairs are firmly secured or taken inside and retract your sunshades. If there is going to be heavy rain, you should also close your windows and check that your drains are not blocked. When there is a risk of water leaking into the building, you should place all valuables and anything susceptible to water damage somewhere high up. In the event of hail, vehicles should be brought under cover and shutters rolled up. Stefan Müller explains something many people fail to realize: "Hail can't really damage windows, but it can definitely damage shutters."

AXA also plays an active role in preventing damage: supported by the AXA Foundation for Human Progress, the University of Geneva has created a new associate professorship dedicated to researching climate-related natural hazards in the European Alps. It aims to develop a better understanding of risks such as mudslides, rockfalls, and glacier falls and work out damage limitation strategies.