Spain scores 90.4 as extreme heat hits holiday mood

Spain’s holiday climate score reaches 90.4 points between May and July 2026, despite extreme heat knocking travellers’ views of Mediterranean destinations. France falls to 77.2 points over the same period, well behind Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece. The figures come from The Data Appeal Company and Almaviva Group, which tracked traveller perception during officially recorded heatwaves from 2023 to summer 2026.

The study uses the Climate Perception Index, or PCI, a score from 0 to 100 measuring how travellers view the weather in a destination. Spain’s longer-term summer average remains 87.2 points, suggesting its climate image has held up even when heatwaves bring sharp short-term swings.

France trails as Italy slips back

Portugal posts the strongest score for May to July 2026 at 93.5 points, followed by Italy on 91.6, Spain on 90.4 and Greece on 89.9. France is the clear outlier at 77.2.

Italy’s result may point to a build-up in the effect of repeated heat episodes, the analysis says. Its PCI was 92.2 in summer 2025, while its May-to-July 2026 score sits 0.9 points below the equivalent period a year earlier.

Heatwaves bring quick shifts in Spain

Spain and Greece both show marked short-term changes in their scores during heatwaves, particularly when extreme conditions arrive earlier than expected or last longer. Greece has averaged 89.2 points since 2023, though its 2026 performance is more restrained than in earlier years.

Portugal has averaged 91.1 points across all summers studied, making it one of the region’s steadiest destinations. The analysis also finds that British travellers often react negatively at first to heatwaves, then recover their view relatively quickly, while US travellers remain more positive even in high summer temperatures.

Topics: Weather

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com