A severe hailstorm struck the Swiss Mittelland on the morning of August 28, 2026, producing estimated privately insured losses of nearly SFr1 billion, according to a first assessment by the Swiss Insurance Association (SVV).
The storm cell moved from the Jura arc across the Mittelland into eastern Switzerland. The most heavily affected cantons were Bern, Solothurn, Aargau, Zurich and Thurgau. Hailstones reached diameters of up to five centimetres locally, accompanied by heavy storm gusts that damaged vehicles, buildings and other property.
More than 80 percent of the estimated claim amount stems from motor vehicles, with over 100,000 vehicles reportedly damaged. Around 10 percent of total privately insured damage relates to elemental damage covered by the Swiss Elemental Damage Pool (Schweizer Elementarschadenpool), while the remainder falls under other insurance lines including business-interruption and supplementary policies.
The SFr1 billion figure is approximately double the insured loss from the major hail event of August 25, 2023, in the canton of Ticino.
Eduard Held, managing director of the Swiss Elemental Damage Pool, said the scale of damage was considerable but demonstrated that the Swiss insurance system continues to function effectively even in large-scale events and remains vital to the economy. He noted that insurers were providing rapid, straightforward support to those affected.
For vehicle damage, household goods and other privately insured property, coverage falls under private insurance. Insurers deployed additional processing capacity after the storm, setting up drive-in stations for vehicle inspections. Digital claims submissions and assessments are being used to speed up handling.
Building-damage responsibility depends on the canton: in seven cantons it lies with private insurers, while in the remaining cantons it is handled by cantonal building-insurance schemes. Most of the affected cantons operate such cantonal institutions, and their building-damage figures are collected separately and are not included in the SVV's SFr1 billion estimate.
