Where is hot in August on a short-haul flight?

August in brief (short-haul)

Marrakech leads the table with 36°C by day and 19°C at night and 3 rainy days (3 h 36 min from London). Seville leads with 35°C by day and 22°C at night and 1 rainy days (2 h 42 min from London). Kusadasi leads with 35°C by day and 23°C at night, a 25°C sea and 0 rainy days (4 h from London). Sousse leads with 35°C by day and 23°C at night, a 27°C sea and 2 rainy days (3 h 6 min from London). Antalya leads with 34°C by day and 23°C at night, a 29°C sea and 1 rainy days (4 h 24 min from London).

Warm rather than hot (20-25°C): Prague 25°C, Lanzarote 25°C, Bled 24°C, Paris 24°C, La Palma 24°C, Krakow 24°C and 1 more. Hot but wet - over 25°C with more than eight rainy days: Verona (11 days), Milan (10 days), Lake Garda (11 days), Lido di Jesolo (9 days), Venice (8 days). Over 30°C by day: Marrakech, Seville, Kusadasi, Sousse, Antalya, Marmaris and 16 more. For scale, London averages 21°C in August.

By flight time from London

• Under 3 hours: Seville 35°C, Madrid 32°C, Albufeira 31°C, Costa de la Luz 31°C, Ibiza 31°C, Benidorm 31°C, Rome 31°C, Majorca 31°C
• 3 to 4.5 hours: Marrakech 36°C, Kusadasi 35°C, Sousse 35°C, Antalya 34°C, Marmaris 33°C, Fethiye 33°C, Athens 33°C, Agadir 32°C

By region

• Europe: 74 destinations, warmest Seville (35°C)
• Africa: 4 destinations, warmest Marrakech (36°C)

Maximum heat, or a shorter journey?

Marrakech suits travellers who actively want intense heat: daytime highs reach 36°C, though nights fall to 19°C. Its flight takes 3 h 36 min, so Seville is the more convenient alternative, with 35°C days and a 2 h 42 min flight. Seville also has 0 rainy days, making rain less of a planning concern than heat. Neither is the choice if sea swimming is central to your holiday. Madrid offers a gentler compromise at 32°C, with cooler 18°C nights and a 2 h 18 min flight. For these inland options, keep strenuous walking out of midday and favour accommodation where you can cool down.

For warm seas, weigh Tunisia against Turkey

Sousse is a strong all-round choice for heat and swimming without stretching the journey: its sea reaches 27°C, with a 3 h 6 min flight and 2 rainy days. Antalya rewards a longer 4 h 24 min flight with a 29°C sea, although 34°C days still call for shade breaks. Fethiye offers similarly warm swimming at 28°C, paired with 33°C days and 22°C nights. Marmaris has the same daytime high but warmer 25°C nights, making evening cooling harder. Kusadasi suits travellers who value low rain more than the warmest water: it has 0 rainy days, but its 24°C sea is cooler than the other Turkish choices. Pack light clothing, and do not expect every dip to feel sharply refreshing.

Check the sea and rain, not just the daytime high

Agadir and Albufeira show why hot air does not guarantee warm swimming. Agadir reaches 32°C with 0 rainy days, yet its sea is 20°C; Albufeira has 31°C days and a 21°C sea. Both suit travellers who prefer a cooling dip, but less so those wanting bath-like water. Sicily offers a warmer 26°C sea alongside 32°C days, with 3 rainy days as the trade-off. Athens pairs the same sea temperature with 33°C days and 1 rainy day, though its flight is longer. If rain would disrupt your plans, be more cautious about Verona and Lake Garda, each with 11 rainy days, or Milan with 10. Heat alone does not make them reliable choices for spending most of the day outdoors.