Storm Éowyn caused €661 million of insured damage across Ireland and the UK, a new report on the anniversary of the storm has found.
It was the costliest windstorm on record for Irish insurers, and was the most damaging windstorm of the year in Europe, according to the new climate and catastrophe insight report by global professional services firm, Aon.
Of the €661 million of industry damages, around €300 million was caused in Ireland. The majority of this damage was to property.
The total economic damage of the storm was measured at $1.05 billion (€890 million) in total economic damage over a three-day period from January 23rd to 25th in 2025.
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Aon Ireland’s head of risk capital, Peter Brady said: “The impact of weather and climate risk on the Irish economy is intensifying, with big consequences for businesses that fail to adapt.”
“Storm Éowyn was not an outlier,” he said. “It is a signal of the growing financial impact of climate change on Irish businesses and the broader economy.
“As the costliest windstorm on record in Ireland, Éowyn’s impact reflects a new reality where climate risk cannot be considered a secondary concern, but is an accelerating, material business risk that can have severe consequences for businesses that are unprepared.”
Brady said it was “concerning” that businesses were “still not prioritising climate risk”.
In addition to Éowyn, the report measured the damage of Storm Bram – which hit Ireland, the UK and France on December 9th – at $60 million in economic loss. Despite this, aggregated losses from European windstorms were lower than the average for the 21st century, as other than Éowyn, most storms were relatively minor or moderate events.
That contributed to global economic losses from natural catastrophes in 2025 of $260 billion.
In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, that figure stood at $21 billion in economic losses, which Aon noted was “well below” the average of $54 billion since 2000. Of the $21 billion, insurance covered just over half of that loss.
Brady noted that the increased frequency of weather and climate risks on the Irish economy could impact the level of insurance premiums and make it more difficult for companies to get insurance.
“There is a challenge with some of the storms that are occurring – and the losses that are occurring – and the uninsured events and the availability, or not, of insurance,” he said. “Unfortunately, increased probability brings increased pricing, but the serious issue with that is a reduction in insurability.”
He said the increased risk of weather damage is likely to change how companies approach buildings and where they locate their physical presences with respect to flood and wind risks.
