Insurance claims continued to rise after last week’s hailstorm with Atlas Insurance yesterday reporting client damages of €500,000.

Joseph Cortis, motor claims manager at Atlas, said the company received about 330 claims from clients with damaged cars.

Describing the hailstorm as “unusual”, he said the company had to call in teams of UK dent specialists, who would apply non-paint dent repair technology.

Hailstones the size of tennis balls were reported to have fallen in certain localities when the storm hit the north and east of the island at about midday on January 15. The worst hit areas were Burmarrad, Mosta, Naxxar, Pembroke, Madliena, Għargħur and Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.

Atlas is the second insurance company to put damages at almost €500,000. Earlier this week Francis Valletta, general manager of Gasan Mamo’s motor division, said the company had received more than 300 claims and expected the value to exceed €400,000.

Mr Cortis said the sheer volume of claims prompted the company to carry out surveys at a single point to see more cars on a daily basis. In a week, Atlas inspected 240 cars damaged by the hailstorm.