These are the warmest cities in Europe right now

Thinking about booking some late Autumn travel? These are the hottest destinations in Europe right now

With the UK weather delivering the most typical of UK weather right now, it’s no surprise that more than 8,000 Brits are currently searching for “winter sun” on Google. But, where is the best place to go for Autumnal sun that doesn’t come with a side of torrential rain or freezing temperatures? Wonder no more, as Visit Cascais has crunched the numbers to work out the top 5 Autumn and Winter sun destinations in Europe.

Top 10 sunniest locations in Autumn (Oct – Nov)

It’s no surprise that Southern and parts of Eastern Europe are the sunny stars of the mainland during the autumn months of October and November. Malta’s capital, Valletta, sees temperature highs of 24 degrees this month, while both Athens and Lisbon sit nicely in second spot with their October highs at a comfortable 23 degrees celsius. Looking at Autumn averages, British travellers wanting some winter sun are best looking at these cities as well as Rome and Tirana (Albania’s capital) for the chance of highs of 20 degrees over the next two months.

Top 10 destinations by sunniest days in 2020

Looking further afield, into December, the top five stays the same – and Malta promises to reach highs of 17 degrees through until the end of the year. Malta is known for being one of the sunniest countries, and with 232 days of sun, it’s definitely got the odds in its favour. But, it’s actually Greece that takes the top spot as the sunniest destination, with more than 260 days of sun in 2020 – a waste of a sunny year, we can agree!

Spain and Portugal take third and fourth spots in the list with 228 and 226 sunny days respectively, followed by Romania at number five with 218 sunny days recorded in 2020.

Top 5 sunniest locations between Oct – Dec

When we look at the destinations with the highest average temperature over the next three months, it’s clear to see Southern Europe is the go-to destination for that warming winter sun. with averages between 17 and 21 degrees in each of these countries, there’s never been a better time to chase the sun – especially as Covid restrictions continue to relax, and travelling becomes a lot smoother than in recent months.

Bernardo Barros, President at Visit Cascais says: “With 226 sunny days every year, and average temperatures of around 20 degrees at the end of the year, Portugal is the perfect destination for Brits looking to escape their dreary weather and bathe in the remainder of our Southern European sun! Cascais is Portugal’s hidden treasure, and it has everything the British traveller is looking for: sun, excellent food, pristine beaches, and plenty of culture too!”