Weather and Seasonal Issues

Practicalities Thinking it Through Weather and Seasonal Issues What to Look For 

Next to your budget this is probably the most important element to consider when picking your destination; get it wrong and you may be miserable. Accommodation for example in Spain, Italy and Greece during colder weather can be extremely uncomfortable if, as is likely, there is inadequate heating.

Temperature

Broadly, the younger the child, the less extremes of hot or cold are going to suit.

The UK can offer ideal temperatures but it may well not, and it is depressing to spend your main holiday under grey skies and rain.

You need to think carefully about booking a holiday anywhere which is going to be seriously hot, for example on the Mediterranean during the summer. Children burn easily, with need constant topping up with drinks and may still suffer from heat exhaustion (Health).

For a better chance of sun but less heat you could consider southern mountain destinations, for example the Alps or Pyrenees, hills such as those round the Italian lakes, areas like central France, or perhaps Brittany. There is also Scandinavia. though again good weather is not guaranteed, usefully, August is not the high season so prices drop.

If you do opt to go when and where there will be heat, you will need to make sure that there is plenty of shade. Overheated children are no fun [Health]. Look out also for the hours of sunshine. Heat under a cloudy sky can be muggy.

In addition everywhere will be more crowded and prices at their highest. Somewhere mid season might well be a better option, particularly if you are not yet tied to school holiday times.

Bear in mind that although useful a temperature rating or even hours of sunshine table will not give the full story. Sea breezes and local winds can play a significant role, as can humidity which can make life unbearable in temperatures which should otherwise be manageable

Rain

You may encounter rain even in unusual places like Andalucia and, although it is not commonly perceived as a rainy destination, it does rain in the Caribbean. While it can be miserable if cold, in warmer destinations the rainy season may not be a bad time to visit as there is seldom more than a downpour a day and the clouds mean it doesn't get too hot. On the other hand, there are likely to be more mosquitoes.

If you do meet rain, you need to have a plan of action, particularly if your children are the kind who need at least a couple of trips out daily to stop them destroying the furniture. Do make sure you have the right gear (Suppliers). Also do a bit of research in advance to find out what indoor attractions there are at the resort, within driving distance if hiring a car, or reachable by bus. it can be helpful to factor these visits into plans in advance, so that the outings don't appear to be second best to the pool or beach.

Wind (Wind chill factor)

This is not generally something detailed on holiday weather tables but can make a significant difference to overall comfort. Air on your skin causes it to lose heat. Watch out for the summer seasonal winds on some Greek islands, those which cause monsoon seas in Asia, and even the winds of the south of France.

At a constant 25mph wind freezing point is calculated as feeling like -16ºc, -10ºc is described as feeling like -30ºc and -25ºc is described as feeling like -54ºc. Originally designed by Arctic explorers in 1940, they are now upgraded to include the cooling effect of humidity for example. Under this scheme there is a thermal comfort index ranging from +10 to -10 with -10 bitter cold and +10 the equivalent of facing a hot Saharan wind. 0 expresses the comfort of sitting in your own home.

Hurricanes are a different matter altogether and travellers are generally told about them because they can be dangerous.

They affect the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico July to September and the eastern Pacific for a similar period. In the western Pacific and South China Sea (under the name typhoons) they arrive April through to January. In the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea they are known as cyclones and arrive May and June plus October and November. In the southern Indian Ocean or south Pacific the period to avoid is December to April.

Humidity

This is only generally an issue in tropical climates. The high levels of humidity there can effectively double the effort required to do anything, a good reason to avoid these areas if travelling with children. Humidity levels of 60% or more are likely to feel uncomfortable whatever the temperature. With temperature of more than 20 C even 40% humidity feels uncomfortable and over 25 C so does 20%. The percentage incidentally is based on 100% being the maximum moisture the air could hold at that given temperature. The hotter the air, the more moisture it can hold.