Winter Storm Joachim Causes Havoc in Western Europe

According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, late last week, winter storm Joachim developed over the Atlantic and became a severe extratropical cyclone over Western Europe.

With wind gusts exceeding 150 km/h, the storm’s strength was akin to that of a weak hurricane. Joachim’s warm front carried warm and moist air into Europe, causing heavy rain and snow in combination with high winds. The storm caused power outages and travel disruption in France, Germany, and Switzerland.

Joachim caused widespread power outages in northern and western France, with some 300,000 households losing electricity. Coastal flooding was reported in several coastal departments, including Gironde, Charente-Maritime, Vendee, Loire-Atlantique, Morbihan, and Finistère.

There have been no reports of substantial damage to property, and AIR does not currently expect significant insured losses from winter storm Joachim.

Source: AIR Worldwide