How to 'weatherproof' your next holiday
The 18 hikers who flew into Nepal in September 2024 were prepared for the trek of a lifetime: a journey to Everest Base Camp. But just a day before their flight to Lukla, heavy rain began falling across the Kathmandu Valley.
"Within 24 hours, the capital recorded its heaviest rainfall since 1970," said Balaram Thapa, CEO of Nepal Hiking Team, who was leading the trek. "Roads were submerged, bridges damaged, and all Lukla flights were grounded for a full week. We were never in immediate danger, but the trip became impossible."Though some of the hikers had travel insurance that reimbursed them for expenses like cancelled flights or additional hotel nights in Kathmandu, none of their policies would have covered the full cost of a completely rained-out bucket list trip.
That might soon change.
As extreme weather events grow more frequent – from torrential rain in India to scorching heatwaves in Europe – a new type of travel insurance is emerging. These protections go beyond covering catastrophes, offering compensation for milder but still trip-ruining weather events like extreme rain or heat.
"The thing that people really worry about in most cases is their trip being rained out," said Daniel Price, co-founder of WeatherPromise, a company that offers their global customers payouts if it rains more than a set number of hours during a booked stay. "The number one factor that causes someone to come back and say 'that wasn't a great trip' is if it pours and you didn't get to sit on the beach [like you'd planned.]"
The company, which also recently partnered with Marriott's Home and Villas brand to offer rain protection, is now exploring coverage for extreme heat, spurred by recent heatwaves across Europe and the US.
"What [we're] about is really giving people the confidence, the comfort and the ability to travel all over at different times of the year," said Price.
It's all part of a wider shift in the travel insurance industry. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, travellers have increasingly opted to take out coverage. And while traditional policies remain geared towards covering big, unexpected disruptions like hospitalisation or cancelled flights, new products are catering to travellers who want more flexibility – and more peace of mind.
These new offerings can range from flat-rate payments for "travel inconvenience," such as missing a scheduled port on a cruise ship through no fault of your own, to coverage that allows cancellations for any reason at all; an add on service which has become increasingly popular post-Covid-19.
"For example, a traveller may be accustomed to certain conditions like having air conditioning in their hotel," explained Chrissy Valdez, senior director of operations for travel insurance comparison site SquareMouth. "So, it may come as a surprise when they check into their hotel in Europe [and] the air conditioning is not working, or there is no air conditioning. [But] there are benefits that would allow them to interrupt their [trip] because they're just not comfortable where they're staying."
More like this:• Will you be going on holiday to… Greenland next year?• Four countries that are actively welcoming travellers• Are you really helping when you join an 'expedition tour'?
Still, not all expanded policies are equal. What is covered and what is required to file a claim varies by provider. Therefore, it's still important for travellers to check the fine print, including confirming things like what weather qualifies, how much rain counts and what documentation is needed to make a claim.
Valdez also warned that as unexpected weather becomes the norm, some insurers may tighten their coverage definitions.
"There are underwriters looking at the definition of 'extreme' weather or 'inclement' weather," she said. "I can't say for certain if this is going to benefit the consumer or if they're going to look at it as a higher risk and possibly define those things even stricter than what they do today."
With unpredictable shifts in weather patterns only expected to continue, these new insurance products may offer at least some protection against the frustration of a ruined trip.
"As a Himalayan trek leader with over 20 years of experience, I'm seeing this type of disruption happen more often," said Thapa. "[It seems that] travel insurance is still catching up to what 'disruption' really means."
--
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Rain bomb alert as mammoth weather system moves across Australia and temperatures plunge - as city records wettest day of the year
Rain and cold temperatures are expected for large parts of the country as an extensive wet weather system stretches from the west to the east coast of Australia. Wet weather lashed most of the country in the past week, with every state and territory recording widespread rain - the most so far for the year for many locations. A severe low-pressure system along with a cold front and significant trough developed across south-west Western Australia on Sunday. Perth experienced its wettest day of the year after it was hit with damaging winds, heavy rain, hail, and thunderstorms. The wet weather system is forecast to crawl eastwards on Monday, with Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Angus Hines warning it will bring inclement conditions. 'This front moves through the southern half of Western Australia and into South Australia on Monday with showers and plenty of hail,' he said. 'Showers will ease across the south-east, with a further 2-10mm. Patchy falls across much of South Australia, NSW and southern Queensland on Tuesday, with a chance of rain in Victoria and Tasmania.' Mr Hines explained the weather system would also bring with it colder air and snow for the mountains in NSW and Victoria. He added cold winds and patchy showers would continue, with light wet weather for most places south of a line stretching across the nation from Perth to Port Macquarie. A dry day is forecast for Thursday, but showers and cool winds are expected on Friday for the country's south-east. 'Some heavier falls or thunderstorms are possible, but we'll have to get closer to the time to confirm the details,' Mr Hines said. 'A rainband could form over north-east Queensland, and yet another rain-bringing front is just dusting its shoes by the door of the west coast heading into next weekend.' Weatherzone meteorologist Yoska Hernandez added a colossal low-pressure system, spanning nearly half the size of the country, would also bring chilly temperatures to southern and eastern parts of Australia this week. As the massive low drifts east, temperatures in Melbourne and Adelaide are expected to struggle to reach the mid-teens. Canberra may barely pass a maximum of 10C each day, with the mercury dropping to a frosty minimum of 0C on Thursday. Sydney's minimum temperatures will remain below 10C for the week, and reach chilly maximums in the mid-teens as well. The mercury is forecast to dip to a minimum of 3C in Hobart, with the days reaching a maximum temperature of between 11C and 13C. Sydney Monday: Partly cloudy. Winds up to 30km/h. Max 18C. Tuesday: Medium chance of showers. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 9C. Max 18C. Wednesday: Showers. Up to 10mm of rain. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 9C. Max 15C. Thursday: Showers. Up to 9mm of rain. Winds up to 30km/h. Min 9C. Max 16C. Canberra Monday: Showers. Winds up to 35km/h. Max 11C. Tuesday: Medium chance of showers. Winds up to 25km/h. Min 3C. Max 12C. Wednesday: Shower or two. Up to 5mm of rain. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 1C. Max 11C. Thursday: Slight chance of a shower. Up to 9mm of rain. Winds up to 25km/h. Min 0C. Max 12C. Melbourne Monday: Showers. Winds up to 30km/h. Max 15C. Tuesday: Shower or two. Min 6C. Max 13C. Wednesday: Shower or two. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 6C. Max 13C. Thursday: Medium chance of showers. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 4C. Max 13C. Adelaide Monday: Shower or two. Winds up to 20km/h. Max 14C. Tuesday: Shower or two. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 8C. Max 13C. Wednesday: Shower or two. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 6C. Max 14C. Thursday: Shower or two. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 6C. Max 14C. Brisbane Monday: Sunny. Winds up to 35km/h. Max 21C. Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Slight chance of shower at night. Min 8C. Max 21C. Wednesday: Shower or two. Winds up to 25km/h. Min 12C. Max 23C. Thursday: Partly cloudy. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 11C. Max 20C. Perth Monday: Showers. Up to 7mm of rain. Winds up to 30km/h. Max 14C. Tuesday: Slight chance of a shower. Winds up to 25km/h. Min 4C. Max 16C. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Winds up to 20km/h. Min 4C. Max 18C. Darwin Tuesday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the evening. Min 21C. Max 31C. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Min 21C. Max 31C.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
US heat dome causes dangerous conditions for more than 100 million people
More than a 100 million people in the US will face dangerous conditions over the weekend as a heat dome that has scorched much of the center of the country nudges eastward. Heat advisories were in place on Friday all across the north-eastern coast from Portland, Maine, to Wilmington, North Carolina, with the daytime heat index temperatures 10 to 15F above average in some places. Overnight temperatures will also be very warm and oppressively muggy, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). While thunderstorms, some of them severe, are expected to break the heat by Friday night for the north-east, heat and humidity will continue to build further south with the most persistent and dangerous conditions expected across the south-east and Tennessee Valley this weekend. The heat index is what the temperature feels like when humidity is taken into account. New York City is forecast to swelter under a 106F heat index on Friday afternoon – slightly higher than Phoenix, Arizona, the hottest major city in the US. In the south-east, the heat index could exceed 115F, risking the health and lives of people without access to sufficient cooling or adequate hydration, the NWS warned. 'This will be a long duration heat wave, with little to no overnight relief and high humidity levels, leading to an increased danger,' the federal service warned. High temperatures and high humidity increase the risk of heat exhaustion, heat illnesses and death, with children, older people and those with existing physical and mental health conditions at highest risk. Outdoor workers – gardeners, builders, farmers, and delivery workers – along with unhoused people and those with substance use issues are particularly vulnerable. A heat dome is a particular weather phenomenon where hot air is trapped over a region by a stalled high-pressure system causing high temperatures on the ground. With little cloud cover due to the stuck high-pressure system, the sun's rays directly hit the ground, further increasing the heat. While heat domes cause heatwaves – which are becoming more frequent thanks to the climate crisis – there can be heatwaves without heat domes. Climate scientists have found that heat domes are getting hotter due to global heating caused by humans burning fossil fuels. And while the latest dome in the US is moving slowly, it continues to cause dangerous conditions in parts of the mid-south to mid-Mississippi Valley, with heat alerts still in place from Oklahoma to West Virginia. In the so-called corn belt, the midwestern and some southern states where most corn is farmed, a phenomenon known as corn sweat exacerbates the humidity, and can increase the heat index by as much as 10F. This is due to the pores on the underside of maize leaves, where oxygen – and water vapor – are released, Justin Glisan , state climatologist of Iowa, said in an interview with CBS News. Meteorologists have also forecast flash flooding from north-east Kansas to much of Indiana, as well as possible scattered thunderstorms across parts of New England, the northern mid-Atlantic, and North Dakota. Meanwhile dry, windy conditions have triggered a red flag wildfire warning for parts of Utah and Oregon.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
US cities have seen an 80 percent increase in extreme heat streaks
Life-threatening heat waves and consecutive hot days, known as heat streaks, are increasingly affecting US cities due to human-caused climate change. A report by the non-profit Climate Central revealed an 80 percent increase in extreme heat streaks across 247 analyzed US cities, with 198 cities experiencing two more streaks annually than in the early 1970s. Cities in the Southwest, Northeast, Ohio Valley, and Southeast, including Nashville and Raleigh, have seen the most significant rise in heat streak frequency. Prolonged heat poses severe risks, such as increased heat-related illnesses, worsened air quality, and strain on electrical grids, with heat being the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US, accounting for 2,325 deaths in 2023. A new heat wave is currently impacting 100 million Americans, bringing temperatures up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above average and 'feels like' temperatures potentially reaching 115 degrees Fahrenheit in some regions.
