by It’s like Groundhog Day in the Mediterranean. After last summer’s record high temperatures, Greece, Italy and Croatia are sweltering under another heat wave. It’s bad enough for the locals, but – as schools break this week and next – they’re joined by millions of tourists from Britain.
For some, it will be a contrast to the UK summer, but it risks being too hot. What can you do if you are worried about the heat? Can your holiday be canceled or rebooked? Will cancellations be covered by insurance? Let’s look at the options.
Where are the main heat waves?
In Europe, the biggest problems are in the Mediterranean – although high temperatures are also expected in the Balkans.
In the coming days, temperatures are expected to rise by 42C in Greece, Croatia, Italy and Spain as a plume of warm air from North Africa forms a heat dome over the eastern and central Mediterranean.
Among the hot spots is Greece, which suffered one heat wave this summer. The hardest hit areas are likely to be in the central, western and northern areas of the mainland as well as the Ionian Islands, where temperatures in Corfu are forecast to hit 39C. Crete becomes relatively mild with the thermometer possibly touching 36C over the weekend, but then dropping back to the low 30sC.
Meanwhile, Italy’s health ministry has issued extreme heat warnings for 12 cities from Rome up to Trieste in the north, with Palermo in Sicily likely to be added to the list soon.
This time coastal Spain looks set to miss the worst of the heatwave, although temperatures in some inland areas are forecast to reach 44C.
I’m worried my holiday will be ruined. Can I cancel and claim insurance?
Unfortunately, this is unlikely. Policies usually only allow claims for cancellations in the case of illness, bereavement or a very long delay in departure.
You may be covered for medical reasons. Talking to The Telegraph during last summer’s heatwave, Peter Hayman, from PJ Hayman insurance, warned: “if someone were to cancel a claim due to excessive (and not normal) heat in their destination and this would make their condition guaranteed medical/worse underwriting, I would expect common sense to be applied to the claim.
“I would expect that a cancellation claim would be treated favorably when circumstances like this arise,” he continued. “This is assuming, of course, that the person did not know about the excessive heat when they booked the trip.”
Another possible exception would be if the UK government issued a warning advising against all but essential travel to your destination. But, because the weather is so unpredictable and heat waves move quite quickly, that’s unlikely. It is also possible that if a state of emergency is declared that will last more than a few days in a particular destination, the situation may change. But again, these chances are slim.
What are my other options?
The terms and conditions of most package holidays provide for a 90-100 per cent charge for last minute cancellations. You’ll also lose your money if you decide not to fly – although some airlines allow you to rebook, subject to a fee. Sometimes some hotels – especially if booked through a booking site like Booking.com – will allow you to cancel or rebook within 48 hours of departure.
If you have booked with an operator or accommodation provider, your best bet is to speak to the company concerned. You may be allowed to postpone or change your destination. But don’t get your hopes up – this is peak season and most operators won’t want to lose revenue unless it’s a real emergency.
What about forest fires?
Last year, when wildfires hit Rhodes very badly, many tour operators suspended operations or offered other holiday destinations to holidaymakers. Although there have been some fires this summer, especially in Greece, the situation is not as bad as last summer.
What if I get sick from the heat?
Travel insurance will almost always cover medical treatment as a result of heatstroke or other symptoms caused by extreme temperatures. If you, a family member or friend becomes ill, call the emergency number on the policy for advice. The best advice, however, is, as always, to respect the power of the Mediterranean sun, stay in the shade and take every opportunity to cool off.
This article was first published in 2023 and has been revised and updated.
