The worst of the flooding may be over but the grim news from forecasters is that the weather will remain largely unsettled over the next fortnight.

Last week, hundreds of families cancelled holidays or missed flights because of the floods, and tour operators invoked mutual-aid schemes – more often used to evacuate clients from storm-wracked resorts – to find customers seats on alternative departures to holiday destinations.

Passengers who had booked package holidays with tour operators were charged between £70 and £140 per person – depending on destination – to have flights and accommodation rescheduled. Independent travellers were facing bills of hundreds of pounds more to rearrange trips, but Malcolm Tarling, of the Association of British Insurers, said the majority of those who had missed flights or cancelled trips would be covered by their travel policies.

“If you’ve got travel insurance, it probably covers you for missed flights due to adverse weather,” he said. “This applies to most policies, but not all – our advice is, check your cover.”

Passengers whose flights were cancelled “can either rebook, reroute or get a refund, as per our normal policy”, says British Airways – but, since the downpours count as “extraordinary circumstances”, those grounded by cancelled flights can expect no compensation under EU denied-boarding regulations.

For those staying in the UK, the Highways Agency warns that roads face “a continuing risk of flooding in Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire”, and train operators have warned that normal services are “subject to a continuing improvement in conditions”.

With beaches and promenades all but deserted across southern England – sunshine hours on the south coast are down 50% from last July – tourism associations are warning that the weather has dealt “a devastating economic blow” to businesses.

“We are talking about farm shops, bed and breakfasts and rural tourism operators,” said David Fursdon, president of the Country Land and Business Association. “We can only guess at the impact this is going to have on them.”

One glimmer of hope exists for those who like to be beside the British seaside: forecasters predict that in the next fortnight, the warmest, driest weather will be in the south and east of the country. For example, the Kent resort of Broadstairs is enjoying a secret summer, with more than 110 hours of sunshine so far this month.

For updates on road traffic conditions, call the Highways Agency on 0870 066 0115 or visit www.highways.gov.uk. Railway information is available from National Rail Enquiries on 0845 748 4950, or at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Where the decent weather is:

FRANCE: It’s grim up north and sweltering down south, but the west coast, from La Vendée down to Les Landes, is enjoying perfect summer temperatures of 28C. VFB Holidays (01452 716840, www.vfbholidays.co.uk ) has houses near the beach in St Jean-de-Monts, between Nantes and La Rochelle, from £545, including ferry crossings.

SPAIN: There’s wall-to-wall sunshine all across Spain this week, and while thermometers in the interior will soar to 42C, temperatures on the Costa Brava will peak at a pleasant 30C. Eurocamp (0844 406 0552, www.eurocamp.co.uk) has seven nights on gorgeous Playa de Pals for £693 for a family of five – saving £275 – including ferry crossings.

THE CARIBBEAN: Dire warnings of another record-breaking hurricane season scared many away this summer, but we’re eight weeks in and we haven’t seen a storm yet. That’s not to say there isn’t something nasty brewing, but in the meantime, temperatures across the region are a balmy 30C. Seasons in Style (01244 202000, www.seasonsinstyle.com) is offering seven nights for the price of five at Carlisle Bay on Antigua, from £1,995pp, including flights from Heathrow. Thomas Cook (0845 070 2530, www.thomascook.com) has 14 nights at the four-star Krystal Laguna Villas & Resort in Cayo Coco, Cuba, from £909pp, including flights from Gatwick.

SOUTH AFRICA: It’s winter in the Cape, with daytime temperatures similar to those in the UK – 20C – but none of those overcast skies. Expert Africa (020 8232 9777, www.expertafrica.com) has a 15-night self-drive tour combining wildlife, gastronomy and cosmopolitan Cape Town from £2,165pp, including flights from Heathrow.

KENT: As the rest of the UK sits beneath troughs of Atlantic low pressure, resorts along the Kent coast claim they benefit from continental high pressure, which supposedly means blue skies and sunshine. The boutique Smiths Court Hotel (01843 222310, www.smithscourt.co.uk) in Margate has three-night breaks for £165pp, half-board, with up to two children staying free.

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