{"id":113963,"date":"2026-08-11T09:41:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T09:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/113963\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T09:41:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T09:41:21","slug":"chronic-heat-risk-in-europe-draws-warning-from-swiss-re-unit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/113963\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Chronic\u2019 Heat Risk in Europe Draws Warning From Swiss Re Unit"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Europe comes to grips with its fifth heat wave this year, the research arm of Swiss Re AG<\/a> is warning of far-reaching consequences that may not yet be fully understood.<\/p>\n

Though Europe\u2019s wildfire risk \u201cis still considered moderate, the increase in fire activity warrants closer attention,\u201d Swiss Re Institute said on Tuesday. \u201cAs heat in Europe increases, wildfire-conducive conditions are likely to become more frequent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fueled by extreme heat, wildfires in France, Spain and Greece have caused as much as \u20ac19.1 billion ($22 billion) in total damage and economic loss this summer, according to a preliminary estimate by AccuWeather<\/a>. Extreme heat and drought will continue to keep Europe\u2019s wildfire risk elevated into the fall, the weather-tracking firm said.<\/p>\n

Read more: Heat Deaths Top 25,000 in Europe as Scorching Weather Persists<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cEurope\u2019s recent wildfires highlight how hotter and drier conditions are making large wildfires more likely, and \u2014 with more homes, businesses and infrastructure built in risk-exposed areas \u2014 also more costly,\u201d Balz Grollimund, head catastrophe perils at Swiss Re, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The comments follow a report last month by Munich Re AG<\/a>, in which it warned of the \u201cdangerous mix\u201d posed by El Ni\u00f1o and global warming. The analyses fit into a developing picture in which the insurance industry finds itself bracing for a new era of risk brought on by relentless temperature rises that are disrupting weather patterns across the planet.<\/p>\n

The temperature in Europe is rising at almost twice the rate as in the rest of the world, with potentially \u201csevere\u201d consequences for the continent, the authors of the Swiss Re Institute report wrote. Europe now experiences 64% more hot days \u2014 defined as days on which the maximum temperature reaches 30C or more \u2014 than in the 1950s, they said.<\/p>\n

The warning comes despite the decline in insured losses tied to natural catastrophes in the first half of 2026. Swiss Re Institute puts the figure at $42 billion, which it noted is \u201cwell below the long-term trend.\u201d The most destructive event was the Venezuela earthquakes in which more than 5,000 people died, it said.<\/p>\n

Severe convective storms, such as thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes, generated smaller first-half losses than in previous years, though Swiss Re Institute said that \u201cthe relatively low insured losses were not a result of subdued storm activity.\u201d It also warned that a \u201cquiet first half is not necessarily indicative of below-average annual losses,\u201d adding that the long-term \u201cupward trend in insured losses is intact.\u201d<\/p>\n

A key risk for insurers to focus on now is how the world \u2014 and Europe in particular \u2014 adapts to rising temperatures, with wildfire risk a particular concern. Europe\u2019s \u201cextensive wildland\u2013urban interface zones mean that a severe fire near densely populated areas could still generate substantial economic losses,\u201d Swiss Re Institute said.<\/p>\n

Photograph: Firefighters try to contain a fire at a warehouse facility during a wildfire near Oraiokastro, a suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece, on July. 4, 2026; photo credit: Konstantinos Tsakalidis\/Bloomberg<\/p>\n

Related:<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.<\/p>\n

\n Topics
\n Europe<\/a>\n <\/p>\n

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