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The city of Venice – currently being showcased in the Depp and Jolie movie, The Tourist – awoke to warning sirens last week as tides in the famous lagoon reached their highest level this year after a period of heavy rain.

More than fifty per cent of the city was said to be under water. Temporary footbridges in St. Mark’s Square, typically put down for pedestrians when the area floods, were removed by local authorities as the risk rose that they would be swept away by the fast rising waters.

Experts call it acqua alta – which means high water. They think it’s caused by an unusually high tide happening at the same time as heavy rainfall.

by Andy Moreton

It remains one of the most remarkable cities in the world and Luxique has a varied selection of the finest luxury hotels in Venice.

The body promoting tourism in the UK – VisitBritain – has found some interesting pre-conceptions about the British weather among would-be foreign visitors.

Around half the 1,000 people questioned apparently agreed that ‘wet and foggy’ was an accurate general description of the British climate. Seems to me they’ve been watching too many Sherlock Holmes movies!

However, it was reassuring to the tourism bosses that in answer to the question: “Would it put you off coming to Britain?” the majority said no.

VisitBritain’s Chief Executive, Sandie Dawe, said: “This survey shows that Britain’s weather is not as bad as folklore would have us believe. Visitors do not come with a belief that if a few drops of rain fall then their trip will be ruined.”

In fact, for many places in southern Britain, this has been a better summer than most – dry with quite a few days of sunshine. The north, though, has not had it so good.

Another survey from VisitBritain (don’t these people take vacations?) estimated that the British monarchy brings in £500 million a year from overseas tourists. This figure takes in visits to such attractions as Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London.

And apparently the people most likely to visit places linked to the Royal Family are Russians, Brazilians and Malaysians.

by Andy Moreton

If you’re coming to the UK this year, Luxique can guide you to the perfect accommodation, with a wide selection of luxury hotels in London. We can also help you book luxury hotels in many other parts of the UK.

Extreme heat and smog has left residents and tourists in Moscow gasping for air.

The smog has been fuelled by dozens of forest and peat fires, which have been burning outside the Russian capital amid soaring temperatures. Even famous landmarks such as Red Square have been enveloped.

The temperature has hit a record 38 degrees Celsius (99F) in a heatwave that’s said to have wrecked a fifth of Russia’s arable land. The month of July has been the hottest since records began 130 years ago.

As harmful impurities in the air exceeded normal levels by up to eight times, doctors advised people to stay indoors as much as possible with windows shut, and cover their faces with scarves or masks when out in the street.

Moscow is home to about ten million people and has about 4 million foreign visitors a year.

by Andy Moreton

Most of the time, the Russian capital is a cool place to visit! Have a look at the two luxury hotels in Moscow on Luxique’s list.

Visitors to the UK always come well-prepared for bad weather whatever the season. A sturdy umbrella and a raincoat are always first on the what-to-pack list.

But this country has a habit of confounding all preconceptions. Take September, for instance. It’s been dry, warm and pleasant and everyone’s been delighted … except Woody Allen. “I hate sunshine,” he mutters. “It should be raining.”

The 73-year-old director, currently making his fourth film in London, looked around in vain for the grey skies and rain he loves. “The sun is a very, very big problem,” he told the Daily Telegraph this week. “But those are the breaks. We’ll have to shoot it differently or maybe use a garden hose on the windows.”

The as-yet-untitled comedy romance stars Josh Brolin, Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts and Freida Pinto (from Slumdog Millionaire).

The rain is an important part of the story because, as Allen explained to the Telegraph: “If you go back through my films, you find that it’s a tip-off that whenever the boy meets the girl and it’s a rain scene they always mean business. I’m a big rain fan.”

The Meteorological Office in London says it’s been the warmest September on record, with the average temperature 15.4C (59.7F) – that’s 3.1C (5.6F) above the long-term average.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique has a comprehensive selection of luxury hotels in London - and many other parts of the UK.

When you go on your holidays, it’s nice to know what the weather’s going to be like. Do I need a raincoat/sunscreen/ski boots?

Prior knowledge is even more essential here in the UK, where you could get all four seasons in one day.

We rely on the Meteorological Office to give us a clear and unambiguous forecast of the day ahead. Occasionally they get it wrong. And the reason they occasionally get it wrong was explained on their website:

Seasonal forecasts indicate how slowly-varying large-scale climate influences make particular seasonal conditions more likely than others. Random, unpredictable factors (’chaos’) also partly determine year-to-year variations, and these will sometimes override large-scale influences. Such uncertainty makes a probabilistic format, as used here, advisable for seasonal forecasts.

This classic piece of gobbledegook won a ‘Golden Bull’ in the annual awards of the Plain English Campaign. The Campaign said the 45-word (if we’re being generous) message could have been said in three: “We’re not sure.”

by Andy Moreton