IAG’s meteorologist expects showers and thunderstorms to become more frequent across eastern Australia over the next couple of weeks, with El Niño keeping bushfire risk elevated, after severe thunderstorms hit South Australia on Sunday and the Northern Territory overnight. The insurer, whose brands include NRMA Insurance, RACQ Insurance, CGU, WFI Insurance and ROLLiN’, says it is supporting customers and has not released claim numbers.
Storms with damaging winds and hail crossed Adelaide on Sunday. The State Emergency Service took more than 100 calls, about 80% of them for fallen trees, and hail of about 3cm was recorded at Happy Valley, ABC News reported. More than 7,000 customers lost power on Sunday, and SA Power Networks figures reported by Xinhua showed that had fallen to 15 outages affecting 1,872 customers by Monday afternoon. IAG said its partner builders are helping affected South Australian customers with claims support and temporary make-safe repairs. Early emergency-service and outage figures suggest the South Australian damage was limited, although IAG has not given claim numbers.
IAG said a cool change also brought storms and heavy rain to Sydney and parts of New South Wales after temperatures of up to 35°C and heightened bushfire risk, while severe thunderstorms struck the Northern Territory overnight. The Northern Territory government said damage there was significant, with no injuries reported, and that some areas could be without power for up to four days, IANS reported.
IAG meteorologist Kathryn Turner said the cold front responsible for the South Australian storms is moving through Victoria and New South Wales, with the eastern seaboard likely to enter a wetter, more unsettled pattern. She described spring as a season of contrasts and said late spring “remains one of the country’s most active periods for thunderstorms,” whatever the wider climate drivers.
The seasonal picture points the other way. IAG said El Niño is expected to peak in November and is contributing to elevated bushfire risk. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures across most of eastern and southern Australia up to November, while noting that El Niño is one of several climate drivers it is watching. The World Meteorological Organization has said Pacific sea-surface temperatures could reach record levels from October to December, peaking in December, so the timing of the peak differs by forecaster.
For clients, that means hail, wind and bushfire exposure can arrive within the same few months, and the checks that matter are the usual ones: sums insured that reflect current rebuild costs, clear knowledge of storm and hail excesses, and a plan for lodging claims and arranging make-safe repairs.
Last spring offers a recent precedent for how quickly storm claims can build. IAG’s October 31, 2025 update counted more than 4,900 claims from the Southeast Queensland storms alone, and Insurance Business reported more than 10,000 claims in the weeks after its October 23, 2025 AGM, most of them motor and property hail damage. That followed several significant weather events across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
IAG’s preparedness advice is standard, including clearing gutters and downpipes, trimming dead branches and securing loose outdoor items where safe. Its release lists claims contacts for each of its brands.
