Marine insurers say a major ongoing challenge for the industry is weather volatility across northern Queensland and Western Australia, and the latest cyclone season has given that argument fresh force. Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, formed on March 17, 2026, hit north Queensland as a category 4 system on March 20, crossed into the Northern Territory, then re-intensified and made landfall again in north-west Western Australia as a severe category 4 cyclone. For brokers, that track is more than a weather story: It could be a live demonstration of how a single event can test appetite across multiple northern exposures.
