Hailstorm loss modelling and risk assessment in the Sydney region, Australia

This paper summarises work undertaken at the Natural Hazards Research Centre with regard to the compilation, climatological analysis and loss modelling application of hailstorm data for the greater Sydney region. It discusses the results from two associated research areas: ENSO-related climatological analysis of hailstorm data, and insurance sector oriented risk assessment of haillosses in the Sydney basin. The two complementary projects led to the development of HailAUS, the first hail loss model for a major urban area in Australia. The hazard occurrence module of the hail loss model is based on a comprehensive, good quality hail data set, whose interannual variability has previously been analysed with regard to the ENSO signal. The paper presents the major results of the local hail data climatology, and outlines the structure of the hail loss model. The important practical applications that result from the collection and analysis of good quality climatological data are noted.