The 10 most expensive weather disasters this year caused more than $170 billion of damage, 13 per cent or $20 billion more than last year, UK charity Christian Aid said on December 27, sourcing data from insurance claims due to flooding, fires, heat waves and related losses.

Christian Aid said the upward trend reflects the effects of climate change, adding that the 10 disasters also killed at least 1,075 people and displaced 1.3 million.

The most expensive disaster this year was Hurricane Ida, which lashed the eastern US and caused about $65 billion of damage.

After crashing into Louisiana state at the end of August, it made its way north and caused extensive flooding in New York City and the surrounding area.

Spectacular and deadly flooding in Germany and Belgium in July was next on the list at $43 billion in losses.

A cold snap and winter storm in Texas that took out the US state’s power grid cost $23 billion, followed by flooding in China’s Henan province in July that cost an estimated $17.6 billion.

Other disasters costing several billion dollars included flooding in Canada, a late spring freeze in France that damaged vineyards, and a cyclone in India and Bangladesh in May.