Travel group XL.com is crediting wet weather for a sales surge at a rate of 100 bookings per hour last weekend.
XL.com said its booking figures were substantially up on the same weekend last year.
A week-on-week comparison of packages booked this time last year shows figures have increased tenfold, said managing director Martin Lock.
Lock said: “Continuous storms and flooding across Britain has made people depressed and in need of a sunny holiday.
With no sign of the British weather improving and with temperatures soaring around Europe, it’s clear that people’s patience finally snapped at the weekend.”
The most popular destinations booked over the weekend were Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco, which have all enjoyed minimum temperatures of 37C this summer.
XL.com has offers including:
- Marmaris, Turkey: Seven nights at the three-star self-catering Aegean Princess apartments for £194 per person based on two adults sharing and flights out of Manchester on July 18
- Malaga, Spain: Seven nights’ bed and breakfast at three-star San Fermin for £235 per person based on three adults sharing, with flights out of Gatwick on July 24