Ten last-minute European escapes now the heatwaves are over

While the UK remains soggy, temperatures in the Med have finally dropped to a perfect level – here’s where to go right now

After weeks of record-breaking temperatures in the Med, the mercury has finally slipped back down to a much more palatable sweet spot between the high 20s and low 30s. Which is perfect timing for anyone in the market for a last-minute escape, as the UK faces an entire month of rainy weather.

The July heat waves affected swathes of the Mediterranean, with temperatures in Italy, Spain, Cyprus and the Greek islands exceeding 40C, while Rhodes experienced some of the worst wildfires in its history, prompting a large-scale evacuation of holidaymakers. So bad was the weather that some tour operators even noticed a trend of international customers cancelling their Mediterranean holidays and coming to the UK, instead.

But things have cooled down, at last. Over the next fortnight, the Greek island of Crete will bathe in highs of 28C–32C, Cyprus will enjoy perfectly sunbathe-able highs of 31C, while Dubrovnik will enjoy temperatures between 28C–31C, all with glorious clear skies.

British holidaymakers appear to have got the memo. Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership, told the Telegraph: “Our travel agent partners are continuing to see high demand for travel, both for this summer and as we look ahead to 2024.”