Feb 8 (Reuters) - Finnish insurer Sampo reported fourth-quarter pre-tax profit below market expectations on Thursday, hit by challenging winter weather and high claim frequency in the Nordics.

Quarterly profit before tax soared 449% to 368 million euros ($397 million), compared with 67 million a year ago, but missed analysts' estimate of 385 million in a poll by Vara Research.

Sampo joins Nordic peers such as Gjensidige and Storebrand in flagging higher claims related to tough weather conditions in the region, with heavy snowfall and low temperatures that continued into early 2024.

"We have seen adverse weather conditions, some of the largest single claims in Nordic history, fluctuations in claims frequency and elevated UK claims inflation," CEO Torbjorn Magnusson said in a statement. (Reporting by Marta Frckowiak in Gdask; editing by Milla Nissi)