It may be weeks before the Lloyd's of London insurance market gives an estimate of its claims from hurricane Katrina, according to two of its senior executives.

Lord Peter Levene, Lloyd's chairman, speaking from Monte Carlo said: "What we have are first numbers that we're taking a look at. But if anyone were to say to me those were the final numbers then I'd tell them to forget it."

"It is more likely to be weeks rather than days before we will have reasonable confidence in the figures," said Julian James, Lloyd's director of worldwide markets.