Floods in Italy, thunderstorms in Spain and gusts of wind on the Mediterranean: many popular vacation spots in southern Europe are currently being hit by severe storms. And according to current weather forecasts, the low weather in the Mediterranean could continue for some time - but at least meteorologists expect that holidaymakers in southern Europe will probably need a rain jacket until mid-June. And that in countries that are generally regarded as summer travel destinations with a good weather guarantee.

With good reason, many Germans have already booked their summer vacation in the south. According to a current survey by the holiday home booking platform "HometoGo", Croatia, Italy and Spain are again among our most popular holiday destinations for the summer this year.

Instead of anticipation, many travelers are more likely to feel insecure in view of the current weather forecast: will the summer vacation fall through? Not necessarily. We'll tell you how to make the best of it.

Probably the most important of all questions: Do I drive at all if bad weather is forecast for my travel period at my travel destination? The answer depends on several factors. Above all, however, from the severity of the expected storms on site. If you have planned a trip to a region where floods or hurricanes are to be expected, you should consider canceling the trip if in doubt.

But: As long as the Foreign Office has not issued a travel warning for the holiday destination, in case of doubt you will be left with the cost of the trip. Unless you have taken out appropriate travel cancellation insurance - or you can cancel or rebook the trip free of charge. Since the coronavirus pandemic, more and more organizers have been offering the latter.

But even if the trip could be canceled free of charge, it is not always worth canceling it immediately because of bad weather forecasts. On the one hand, the weather forecasts, especially by the sea, often change again on a daily basis - often for the better - and on the other hand you can have a nice holiday even when it rains. With the right clothing and an alternative program indoors, you can experience authentic southern Europe even when the sun isn't shining.

When it rains, you can, for example, visit a museum, explore the shopping malls, take a tour of the many restaurants and taste the country's culinary specialties or simply stay in your accommodation for a day - and chat with the travel companion about what to play or what to do read a book. Holidays are always what we make of them - and that also means getting used to different weather conditions instead of letting the trip literally go down the drain.

And yet it is also true that rain tends to put a damper on the mood. Especially when we look at the stormy sea from our beach hotel in Spain or Italy instead of jumping into the waves in the sun while dream temperatures prevail at home. In Germany it should stay sunny and dry for the time being.

So if you haven't booked your summer vacation yet, it's worth considering a vacation in your own country instead of flying south. It should also remain dry in the next few weeks in the regions around Great Britain, northern France, Benelux up to Poland and the Czech Republic. To put it positively, this year there are new opportunities for a summer holiday that you may not have experienced before.

Those: wetter.net, HometoGo-Studie