As the build-up to the peak getaway weekend gets under way, holidaymakers heading for the favourite Spanish island destination, Mallorca, face “extreme risk”.
Spain’s state meteorological office, Aemet, is warning temperatures in the north, northeast and centre could reach up to 43C. The area includes popular resorts such as Alcudia and Port de Pollenca.
The official rating is “extreme risk” between 11am and 8pm local time today.
The Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that overnight highs above 36C have been recorded, including in the marina resort of Puerto Soller, with nighttime humidity that can reach 100 per cent.
The Foreign Office has issued warnings of extreme temperatures for both Spain and Greece, where wildfires have been raging.
But the official UK advice stops short of warning against travel to these Mediterranean countries. As a result, there is no automatic right to curtail, cancel or change planned trips.
Holiday companies and airlines contacted by The Independent say normal terms and conditions apply.
Soaring temperatures in holiday hotspots are nothing new at this time of year, they argue, and some British holidaymakers happily travel to Dubai and Egypt’s Red Sea coast in July, where temperatures above 40C are the norm.
Under the Package Travel Regulations, holidaymakers can cancel for a refund “if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the destination”.
But unless authorities issue instructions that make normal holiday activities impossible, it is difficult to see how the rule might apply during the heatwave.
Holidaymakers with a travel insurance policy in which a pre-existing health condition has been declared may have grounds to claim for a cancellation if they receive specific medical advice against travel to a very hot location.
Alternatively, the Package Travel Regulations may help you pass on the trip to a friend or family member.
A proper flight-plus-accommodation package can be transferred to someone else for a nominal fee of around £50 per person.
According to a leading travel industry figure, the extreme heat is not deterring holidaymakers.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, tweeted: “As the Met Office forecast a…
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