According to initial estimates, winter storms Zeynep and Ylenia are likely to cost insurers more than 1.4 billion euros.

Zeynep alone caused insured losses of more than 900 million euros, said the management consultancy Meyerthole Siems, which specializes in actuarial mathematics.

Zeynep was the most intense storm since Kyrill in 2007.

"For Germany, we are assuming insured losses of over 900 million euros," said Managing Director Onnen Siems.

The company had previously estimated the insured damage from the previous storm Ylenia at 500 million euros.

Insured damage is only damage that is ultimately covered by an insurer.

The total damage caused by storms and other natural catastrophes is generally higher, sometimes quite considerably.

In contrast to Kyrill, Zeynep hardly hit the southern half of Germany.

South of a line from Saarbrücken to Nuremberg, the effects are small, it said.

Kyrill had caused much higher insured losses, in today's values ​​it was more than 3 billion euros.