The majority of us are occasionally guilty of presuming that the weather of nations across the globe will mirror our own, which can cause problems if we book a trip based on these beliefs! I’ve been guilty of this myself, failing to check the climate during the summer months for both Mexico and the Caribbean. Luckily the weather was favourable and I managed to dodge the worst of the rainy season, but by following the guide below you can ensure that you don’t take any chances with the weather. The guide discusses the top 10 global tourism destinations, using the UNWTO’s Tourism Highlights report, 2013 edition. The statistics on weather averages have been compiled using WeatherBase.
Source: UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2013 Edition
 France
- Monaco: Average temperatures peak in August and September, when they reach 22.8°C. July is the driest month and offers an average temperature 22.8°C, coupled with an average of just 4 days of rainfall.
- Paris: July and August offer average temperatures of 19°C, yet these months experience rainfall on an average of 12 and 13 days respectively.
USA
- Florida: Average temperatures stand between 27 and 29°C from June-Sept, however rainfall is at it’s highest during this period. October offers average temperatures of 25.7°C and experiences much less rainfall than the aforementioned period, with an average of 12 days.
- New York: Notoriously cold during the winter months, July presents the best opportunity to visit New York and offers an average high temperature of 24.6°C.
China
- Shanghai: July offers an average temperature of 28°C and an average high temperature of 31°C.
- Beijing: June, July and August offer average temperatures of 26°C, 24°C and 25°C respectively. However June offers the highest number of average daylight hours, with 12 hours of sunshine each day.
Spain
- Madrid: July and August both offer average temperatures in excess of 24°C and experience just 2 days of rainfall each, on average.
- Barcelona: July offers an average high temperature of 27.5°C, but has just 2 days of rainfall. August experiences similar temperatures, yet 4 days of precipitation are experienced on average during this month.
- Canary Islands: Average temperatures sit above 20°C from May-November, yet rainfall is rarely seen between the start of May and the end of August.
- Balearic Islands: Average temperatures of 25°C are experienced in July and August, yet July has an average of 2 days rainfall compared to 4 in August.
Italy
- Venice: July is the hottest month with an average high temperature of 27.5°C and less than 6 days of rainfall.
- Rome: Although July and August are the hottest months with an average temperature in excess of 23°C, July offers less than 2 days rain on average.
- Sicily: July and August are the only months to offer average temperatures above 20°C.
Turkey
- Istanbul: Visit in July for an average high temperature of 27°C and just 3 days of rainfall.
- Bodrum: Both July and August offer average highs of 32°C, making them the perfect months for sunseekers to head to Bodrum.
- Ankara: July and August offer average temperatures of 20°C, with these weather conditions drawing many sunseekers to Turkey’s second largest city during these months.
Germany
- Berlin: Average temperatures are highest in July at 18°C.
- Cologne: The hottest months to visit Cologne are July and August, when average temperatures stand at 17°C.
- Munich: Average temperatures also stand at 17°C in Munich in July and August, yet August offers 16 days of rainfall on average and this is fewer than the 18 experienced in July.
UK
- London: Average temperatures stand at 17°C in July and August, with an average of 17 days of rainfall experienced during these months.
- Newquay: Average temperatures stand at 16.5°C in August, when surfers and tourists descend on this stunning coastal town.
- Scottish Highlands: Average temperatures are highest in July when they reach 15°C, this is coupled with an average of 18 days of precipitation
Russia
- St Petersburg: Average high temperatures of 16.9°C degrees are experienced in July.
- Moscow: Average temperatures are highest in July when they reach 17°C, this month also offers average highs of 21°C.
Malaysia
- Kuala Lumpur: The average temperature fluctuates between 27°C and 28°C degrees throughout the year, however rainfall is at its lowest in February, June and July.
- Sarawak – The average temperature fluctuates between 26°C and 27°C throughout the year, however rainfall is at its lowest in February and March.
Author bio: Gary Stringer is a travel fanatic from the UK, who loves heading to warmer climes whenever possible. Gary has written this article in tandem with QROPS Review, an expat resource reviewing pension options from across the globe.
really informative article I was surprised by how cold and damp Germany an London were and Russia? who in right mind would go there? you want temps above 20 C when you go New york in summer is just like Canada in summer Really well written and researched
You need to look at the deviation in the weather average before deciding where to go as well. Florida for instance will have almost guaranteed weather patterns and low deviation, whereas the UK (where I’m from ) will have a huge deviation from day to day. If you want guaranteed weather then the standard deviation is statistically what you should be looking at.